A Wild Night
by Edward the VIII
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke had no idea what he was getting into when he ended up shacking up with Uzumaki Naruko. But, despite everything, he wouldn't have it any other way.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor the characters in it. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, and is not intended to be profitable in any way.**

 **Warning: There** _ **will**_ **be numerous graphic lemons in this story. I will not mark them. If you don't want to read them, try and skip past them. Otherwise, enjoy!**

* * *

The door opened. Grumbling something incoherent under his breath, the man stepped into the darkened apartment. Closing the door behind him with his foot, he shrugged off the green flak jacket he had been wearing, tossing it unceremoniously onto a chair.

He navigated his way through the dark living room, before finding the light. He flicked it on - black eyes having to blink several times as the apartment was illuminated. Now, with the light on, he was free to kick off his sandals, and collapse onto the couch, a groan of relief escaping him.

The man ran a hand through his spiky black hair, grimacing slightly as the sweaty, grimy feel of the dark strands. A shower, he decided, would probably be best - and with much reluctance, he left the safety of the couch, and made the short trek to the bathroom. Shrugging off his clothes as he went, leaving them behind him in a trail, he threw the door to the bathroom open.

Without thinking, he pulled back the screen to the shower, stepped inside, and turned the hot water up to the hottest it could possibly go. The man recoiled at first, as a spray of icy, cold water splattered against his face - but sighed, as the liquid gradually warmed, before becoming an endless stream of steaming hot water that soothed his sore muscles and washed away the filth he had accumulated on his mission.

Uchiha Sasuke hadn't had a very good day.

Early in the morning, before he had even eaten breakfast, Sasuke had been summoned to the Hokage's office. There, he had been given a simple task - track down, and eliminate a prisoner who had managed to escape a team of genin transferring him from the capital to Konoha's awaiting dungeons.

The prisoner was a dangerous, high chunin, low jounin level man. Undoubtedly, he'd been free of his handcuffs within an hour of escaping - and although he may not have a sword, nor the energy to put up a prolonged fight, he was still very crafty, very smart, and more importantly… willing to do _anything_ to evade capture.

Still, he had been relatively close to the village when he had escaped, and with the aid of some merchants who had spotted him scavenging some food early in the afternoon, he had managed to isolate, and hunt down the man.

He put up quite the fight. Unfortunately, Sasuke had finally caught up to the man just before a running river - and the escaped prisoner had used that water source to great effect, considering he was an expert _Suiton_ user. Still, he eventually met his end by Sasuke's blade. The mission had expressly asked that the body be returned to Konoha, so with the man's body safely stored in a scroll, Sasuke had made his way back to the village.

Sasuke had deposited the man's body at the morgue, before going back to the Hokage's office for his debriefing. The usual post-mission activities occurred - a swift check up at the hospital, logging his confirmed kill, receiving his pay - before he was finally able to go home.

And that lead to now, late in the night. Sasuke standing beneath the scalding hot spray of the shower, watching as dried blood and dirt flowed down the drain beneath him. He touched a small, but deep cut on his arm, wincing as it stung. The man had used a sharpened rock at one point… and, well, the hospital staff hadn't deemed it serious enough to require a proper medic nin to heal it. So, he was stuck with it, for now. They had bandaged it, of course, but it still hurt a tad.

It wasn't that much of a bother. Just mildly annoying, if at times _extremely_ annoying when a particularly hot drop of water hit the bandage and sent it stinging all over again.

He washed rather quickly, smoothing shampoo and conditioner through his spiky hair, scrubbing down his body with a bar of soap. By the time he was done, his skin was pink - from a combination of the incredibly hot water, and his vigorous washing.

Sasuke turned off the shower, stepping out into the bathroom proper. He yanked a towel off of the rack, drying himself off as well as he could manage.

It was pretty late, Sasuke realized, as he stepped out into the hallway - completely nude, although uncaring considering he was the only one in the apartment. He wasn't tired. At all. There wasn't really much he had to do in his apartment, unless you counted analyzing jutsu scrolls or just relaxing on the couch. Neither of which he was very interested in doing.

' _I could use a drink.'_ Sasuke thought, now heading for his room. _'And a nice woman.'_

After all, what better way was there to wind down after a mission? A stiff bottle of sake, and a warm body pressed against his side, and that was all he needed to wash away the memories of the day.

He dressed in some simple attire, nothing too fancy. A high collar, blue shirt - though not one of his typical ones with the Uchiha fan sewn into the back. This one was bare… and for good reason, considering his intentions.. A pair of simple black pants. And that was it. He ran a comb through his hair, brushed his teeth, swiped his wallet and key from the pockets of his discarded flak jacket, and was out the door.

Sasuke was no stranger to drinking. Technically, he shouldn't be doing it until he turned eighteen in a few months, but he had been doing it ever since he was sixteen or so. It wasn't a regular thing, just every now and then when he was feeling especially bored, but he did it enough to know where the bars were.

There were a few more popular bars, in more… 'safe' areas. Unfortunately, Sasuke really, _really_ didn't want his mother, father, brother, or anyone close to him to discover his 'getting drunk and fucking a woman' habit, and he couldn't use henge because the sharingan or byakugan could see through that with ease, so he decided to choose a more seedy place. It wasn't that bad. The sake was cheap, the food passable, and the place was warm and inviting. It was just the location, a little too close to the slums of Konoha for most people's liking.

There was a generally warm aura engulfing the bar as he stepped inside. Most people were here with groups of friends, occupying booths or tables, laughing and drinking as alcohol, food, and tales were passed around aplenty.

Still, there were a few lone wolves. Women who had come to drown their sorrows beneath rivers of sake. Men who had come to find a quick lay from those same women. Not that he was any better, Sasuke thought, but at least he had the courtesy to buy them a drink first.

One girl caught his eye.

She was sitting alone at the end of the bar. Blonde hair the same color as the sun framed her face, although he couldn't see her eyes due to the downcast way she held her head.

Sasuke pursed his lips together. For all intents and purposes, there was _no_ reason for him to feel this kind of pull toward her.

She was attractive, yes, but not jaw droppingly so. Her curves weren't overly large nor unfathomably small - they were subtle; enough to prove that she was a woman but not enough to be sexual. She was cute. But Sasuke typically didn't settle for cute.

Not this time apparently. He wasn't a slave to his mind's desires… but he could recognise defeat when they were simply too strong to resist.

He strode across the bar, weaving in and out of tables, side stepping busty women with hopeful looks in their eyes, and at one point using _kawarimi_ to avoid a fangirl he vaguely remembered going on a mission with the year prior.

Finally, he was standing just behind the girl, who seemingly hadn't noticed his presence. With an internalized huff, Sasuke slid into the stool beside her.

"Hey." he said, giving her a nod. "Mind if I buy you a drink?"

The girl jumped slightly, but settled upon seeing him, recognizing that he wasn't one the guys who had been bothering her earlier.

' _He's cute…'_ she thought. He certainly had that 'bad boy' look about him, with that dark hair, and those even darker eyes that reminded her of the night sky. His face was blank… but it wasn't stoic.

"Sure…" Uzumaki Naruko murmured. "I'd love a drink."

Sasuke smirked, a flicker of amusement running through his dark eyes. The bartender came around, Sasuke promptly ordering two shots of sake. Soon, two glasses of the warm, brown liquid were slid in front of both of them.

"What's your name?" Sasuke asked, downing his in a single gulp.

Naruko paused. "... Mito…" she said, after a brief moment of deliberation.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're a terrible liar." Sasuke noted, his smirk widening as she flushed.

"Am not!" Naruko insisted, gulping down her shot as a way to mask her embarrassment. "What's your name?" she quickly said, seeing that Sasuke had opened his mouth to say something.

He thought about it for a minute. _'Well, if she's not going to be forthcoming…'_ Sasuke thought.

"My name is Kagami." Sasuke said seriously - although the smirk playing on his lips revealed the deception to Naruko.

"Oh…!" she said, her voice accusing. "I see how it is!"

"Oh, what ever do you mean, _Mito_?" Sasuke said, his voice teasing, as he waved the barkeep back over. "Another round." he said to the bartender, who nodded.

Naruko pouted for a moment… but accepted the second shot glass as it was slid in front of her. She had really liked the way it _burned_ going down her throat, the taste of the drink so bitter and yet so good.

"That's the last one you're getting on me." Sasuke said, pointing at her drink. "I'm not rich, you know."

Naruko stared at the mud colored contents of her glass for a moment, before shrugging. She downed the second shot as quickly as the first, letting out a refreshed gasp.

"So," Naruko began. "Kagami. What brings a young man like you to a bar like this?" she asked.

"I could ask the same of you." he noted. "But… I'm just looking for a drink…" He slid his stool closer to hers. "And some company, of course."

Naruko couldn't help but grin. "I came here for the drink, but I don't mind the company either." she said. "You a shinobi?"

Sasuke nodded. "Are you a kunoichi?"

"Damn right!" Naruko exclaimed. "I'm a kunoichi and proud of it!'

"Cheers to that." Sasuke said. "I don't think I've seen you before. Genin, chunin, jounin… ANBU?" he asked quietly, keeping his voice down so that they wouldn't be overheard.

Naruko paused, avoiding his gaze for a moment. "Chunin…" she mumbled after a moment. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Again, it sounded like she was lying - really, she was a _terrible_ liar, with the way her ears would pinken and her cheeks would twitch - but what point was there in lying about one's rank? Maybe it was just a nervous tic of hers of something of that sort.

Sasuke smirked. "Ah, I see." He really couldn't help but tease her, her reactions were… cu- amusing. "I'm a jounin," Sasuke said airily

"That doesn't make you better than me." Naruko said suddenly, her blue eyes suddenly alight with competition. _'Damn!'_ she thought. _'Really shoulda said jounin or ANBU, something cool like that.'_

"I'm pretty sure the descriptions of the rank disagree with you." Sasuke said, his smirk widening. "Chunin is 'middle ninja', while Jounin is 'upper ninja'... so, at best, you're _average._ "

"Hey, I am not average!" Naruko said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You're the one whose average!"

Sasuke chuckled. "Sure, whatever you say." he said, waving a hand as if to brush her off. "Want to go half and half on a bottle?" he suggested, giving a pointed look to a rather tall of sake that was on the shelf behind the bar.

Naruko pursed her lips together. "I should really be kicking your ass right now, but I am pretty thirsty… how about sixty forty?"

"Ah, I see." Sasuke said. "I'm fine with you paying more, I suppose. How gallant of you."

Naruko flushed. "That's not what I meant you and know it!" she said hotly. "But, fine. Fifty fifty is alright with me." She grumbled something incoherent under her breath, shoving her hand into her pocket and withdrawing a crumpled wad of bills. "You know, you're a real jerk, Kagami."

"I try." Sasuke said, pulling a few neatly folded bills from his wallet. They asked the bartender for the price - divided it up exactly between the two of them, and soon, a tall bottle filled to the brim with sake was slammed down in front of them. Sasuke took the lead, unscrewing the cap, and refilling both of their shot glasses.

Naruko tipped the glass back instantly, downing it as nonchalantly as if it were apple juice. "Man, that's good!" she exclaimed, seizing the bottle from Sasuke and hastily refilling the glass again.

"You're a bit of an alcoholic, aren't you?" Sasuke said.

That put a stop to her brief spell of joy. _'Teme…'_ she thought, resisting the urge to grind her teeth. "I am _not_ an alcoholic." she insisted. "I just… um… well, to be honest, this is like my third time drinking _ever_ , so give me a break, will ya?"

"Ever?"

" _Ever._ "

"How old are you?" Sasuke asked.

"Seventeen." Naruko answered. "You?"

"The same."

Her eyes narrowed. "... when's your birthday?" she asked.

"Trying to see which one of us is older?" Sasuke correctly deduced. Naruko's smirk proved him right. Praying that she wasn't born in the spring or late winter, Sasuke quickly told her the answer. "July twenty third."

Her face suddenly became crestfallen. "... October tenth…" Naruko muttered weakly.

Sasuke chuckled. "Don't worry about it, newbie." Sasuke said, reaching over and ruffling her hair playfully. "I'm sure a little girl like you will be perfectly safe around me."

Trying to distract herself from just how _warm_ his touch was, Naruko batted his hand away. "I am not a little girl…!" she said warningly. "We're the same age, Kagami!"

"I'm sorry… I thought July came before October?" Sasuke said, his voice teasing. "Was I mistaken?"

"Jerk!" she said, socking him in the shoulder. Sasuke rubbed it. _'She can punch pretty damn hard,'_ he thought, though he didn't show any real reaction on the outside, aside from rubbing his shoulder.

"You shouldn't be so violent to people you barely know, Mito." Sasuke said. "It sets a bad example."

"I'll show you a bad example…" Naruko grumbled, downing her fourth shot, and swiftly refilling the glass once more. She downed it. And then, refilled her glass again.

Sasuke frowned. "You should probably go easy on the drink.." he said, his hand twitching as if he wanted to rip the bottle away from her. "You might overdo it a bit, at the rate you're going."

"I'll be fine." Naruko insisted. "Us Uzu- I mean, I've got a strong system. I'll be good." _'Not to mention… him.'_ she thought, her spare hand brushing against her stomach.

"If you say so." Sasuke said, although he appeared not entirely convinced. "So. Are you really a kunoichi?" he couldn't help but ask. "Because I've never seen a ninja wear something like that." He was, of course, referring to her outfit - a orange and black outfit that would stick out like a sorethumb no matter who was wearing it.

"I am a kunoichi!" she said, after downing a sixth shot. "And don't you dare diss my favorite color!" The amount of times she'd heard the same crap from her parents… ugh. "Orange is awesome, and that is _final_."

His lips twitched. "Not the first time you've heard that, hmm?" he said.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Naruko said, exasperated. "And besides, who are you to talk?" she pointed out. "You look like you're ready to go to a goth party or something."

Sasuke frowned. "That was uncalled for," he grumbled.

Naruko grinned. "There's a lot more where that came from, mister." she said, poking him in the shoulder. Another shot, shared between the both of them. "So, you from some fancy, shmancy clan?" she asked.

"What's the point of using fake names if I tell you what clan I'm part of?" Sasuke said.

Naruko nodded. "So that's a yes, then."

"Maybe." Sasuke grudgingly admitted.

At this point, they weren't even using the shot glasses anymore. Instead, they were passing the bottle in between each other - Sasuke taking a sip, while Naruko continuously downed swigs.

Naruko grinned, reaching a hand up, sinking it into his raven strands. "Your hair is sho soft…!" she cooed, nearly falling out of her stool. That action allowed Sasuke to get a good sniff - and through the stench of alcohol and smoke that filled the bar, he caught a whiff of… jasmine. He groaned, although it was lost on Naruko, who was still caressing his hair.

"Ge-get away from my hair." he said, clumsily batting her hand away.

"But it's sooooftt….!" Naruko whined.

Sasuke reached a hand forward, his fingers brushing against her cheek. "So are you…" he murmured.

They stared at each other.

"Hey… Ka-Kagami…?" Naruko stammered.

"Yeah…?"

"Are you thinking what- what I'm thinking?" she asked, tilting her head forward so that their foreheads were pressed against each other.

Sasuke nodded, his cheeks a little rosy. "Yeah…" he mumbled.

"I could _reallly_ go for some ramen right now." Naruko said, grinning.

Sasuke frowned.

"Just kidding~!" Naruko said, laughing at the look on Sasuke's face. She leaned forward, until her hot breath was tickling his ear. "So…" she mumbled. "Your place or mine? And please say your place."

"Too far." Sasuke grumbled. "How about a hotel?"

Naruko groaned into his ear, swaying from side to side on her stool. "Finne." she said. "But you're paying."

"Done…" Sasuke said.

They both stood up. Sasuke, slapped a few bills on the counter to pay for the drinks he'd ordered earlier, and together, they both stumbled out of the bar. Sasuke was still relatively steady on his feet, but it seems the fact that Naruko had drank three times the alcohol he had caught up to her. She was still in control of her body - but she would stagger every now and then, and giggle at strange moments.

Not that he minded. The sound of her giggling was strangely… endearing.

Thankfully, a hotel wasn't too far away from the bar. A discrete one, where the owners preferred to be paid in cash. Sasuke had just barely enough money to cover a room for the night. He paid in his name, and after scrawling his signature onto a piece of parchment and getting the key to the room, the two of them made their way down the hall.

Naruko couldn't keep her hands off of him, clinging to his side, giggling uncontrollably as Sasuke was forced to half-carry half-lead her to the room. It was painstaking to free an arm and twist the key into the lock, but finally they made it.

The instant the door slammed shut behind them, the two of them fell into bed together. Lips pressed together, hands freely roaming the other's body, the both of them rolling back and forth on the bed, exchanging who was on top several times.

Sasuke couldn't get over how _soft_ she was. For such a feisty girl, her body was the exact opposite. As they kissed, grinding themselves against each other, their bodies seemed to melt into each other, to mix. Normally, he abhorred sweet things - but he could always make exceptions, and the sweet taste of her lips, almost like nectar, certainly fell into that category.

Naruko was in a similar boat. She was astounded by how _warm_ he was, as if he was a living, moving, breathing radiator. It was so surprising to her, that someone who seemed so cold could exude such incredible amounts of heat.

The smell of alcohol hung in the air. She was straddling him, her lips pressed to his, his hands groping her ass without shame. Then, he was straddling her - attacking the creamy skin of her neck, leaving her mewling beneath him. Again, she was on top of him, grinding her crotch against his, running her hands up and down his chest and licking his earlobe in a way that left him flushed.

"Fuck, you have no idea how much I want you…" Sasuke murmured.

Naruko grinned, but said nothing. Instead she reared back, pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it off of the bed. She wore a blue bra underneath - it wasn't silky or lacy, fuck, if Sasuke didn't enjoy the sight of her in it, he wouldn't be a man. She dipped her head back down. Not to kiss him, no, although she _really_ wanted to do that again, she had other things in mind. Naruko pulled his shirt over her head, letting out a soft moan as his muscled chest was finally brought into view.

There was a whirl. Suddenly, their positions were reversed, both of her hands held down by one of his. Sasuke smirked down at her, and she heard the rustle of cloth - his pants being pulled down, and then thrown off the bed, meeting the same fate their shirts had. She couldn't help notice the bulge in his boxers, a testament to the fact that he was just as aroused as she was. Which made her grin, for some reason.

He halted for a moment, his fingers hooked in the waistband of her own pants. Black eyes met blue ones. Sasuke didn't say anything - but the expression on his face told the entire story. _'Can I…?'_

Naruko beamed at him. And then, with a nod of her head, Sasuke's chances of getting lucky that night skyrocketed to well past a hundred present. With no small amount of haste, Sasuke jerked her pants off, throwing them to the side as if they were radioactive. Her panties were disposed of just as quickly, and Sasuke honestly couldn't help himself. He pulled her thighs apart, forcing a yelp from Naruko's lips. Without warning, one of his fingers found themselves buried in her folds.

"Tight…" Sasuke murmured, pumping the digit in and out of her, relishing in the soft suction of her insides around his pointer finger. He wasn't idle either. In all actuality - although he would _never_ admit to this - he had been clumsily attempting to unhook her bra for the past minute or so, but with one hand busy doing… other things, it was so far unsuccessful. With a laugh, Naruko batted his hands away from the clasp, and as if she were simply counting from one to ten, she unhooked her bra. He frowned. She grinned.

Naruko being Naruko, she was a little tease. Both of her hands slinked forward, holding the cups over her breasts, preventing the globes from spilling free despite her bra being unhooked. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. In response, he added a second finger to the one pumping in and out of her snatch, and she gritted her teeth.

"Bastard…" she muttered, flinging the bra away. Sasuke was half tempted to activate his sharingan - just so he could forever remember the sight of her delicious breasts, but he knew that would kind of ruin the whole 'not using each other's names' thing.

She was nice and wet now. There was still a little ways to go - but soon, Sasuke knew the _real_ fun would come. In order to speed up that process, Sasuke decided to play with her a little bit, because fuck, he might have doubted her hotness earlier, but this girl seemed like a goddess now, with her naked body bared before him. Two of his fingers still pumping into her snatch, he dipped his head down, taking one of her breasts into his mouth. His free hand wasn't idle either, groping her other tit, squeezing it and running her nipple in between his pointer and thumb.

Naruko was more than content to sit back and relax, as Sasuke played her body like a fiddle. Her face appeared flushed from the effort of not moaning (although she really, _really_ wanted to), but she really couldn't deny the burning arousal in her loins, showed by the copious amounts of liquid that began to pour past Sasuke's fingers and down her thighs.

So, she did the best thing she could think of to deflect from her embarrassment. Namely, reaching out and grasping his raven spikes.

"He, he, hee…" she giggled, her cheeks tinting up slightly. "Your hair's so soft!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. But, he couldn't help the small smile that settled on his lips. "I think you're ready now," he said, pulling his head back, withdrawing one hand from her tit and the other unsheathing itself from her snatch.

With a casual yank, he pulled off his boxers - freeing his hardened member. Naruko pointedly looked away from it, afraid that she'd… ogle it or something. She couldn't help but shiver, as it scraped against her thigh. If she'd thought he was warm, it was nothing compared to what he possessed in between his legs. Fuck, it felt like molten lava against her skin, in a _good_ way, if that was possible.

And then, he positioned himself at her entrance. Her juices, so copious and so plentiful that they leaked past the mushroom head and trickled down his throbbing shaft. He appeared to hesitate a moment. And then, with a soft pump of his hips, he slid inside. Naruko had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from crying out in _pain_ , but she managed. She reached her hands up, looping them around his torso, resting her head on his shoulder.

He began to thrust. In, out, in, out. It hurt, Naruko realized, but she didn't let him on to the fact that she was experiencing any discomfort - and so, he soldiered on. He kept his thrusts steady, which she was thankful for, tears glistening in her eyes.

Some force up there decided to bless her, and it did so by gradually reducing the pain until it was no more than a gentle throb, and eventually it faded altogether.

Soon she began to moan. Sasuke did as well, although it sounded more as a low growl than anything. " _Tight_ …" he once again murmured into her ear, unable to help himself.

Naruko smiled. "Well, I hope your enjoying it, Kagami," she said teasing. "Because the-"

"Sasuke." he said suddenly.

Naruko blinked, tilting her head to the side. He continued to hammer away at her as she worked through her shock. Finally, she said- "What…?"

"My name isn't Kagami." he said. "It's- it's Sasuke."

There was a silent question in his tone. One that was begging to be answered.

"Naruko." she said finally. "My name is Naruko."

There was nothing said after that. There was an… understanding? If you could call it that. They still didn't know each other's family names, what clan they were part of, or anything like that… but there was a certain degree of trust involved in digressing your given name to a stranger, especially considering the two's respective statuses.

It was quiet, except for the soft _slap slap_ of Sasuke's thighs smacking against Naruko's. He let out a low moan every now and then, while she was adamant about not letting a teme like him hear her moans - although she cracked every now and then, and let out a groan that was strangely high pitched.

Sasuke knew he was growing close after a while. She was just so tight, so wet, her insides so warm and welcoming… it was impossible to hold on for much longer. But he was a man of pride. He _refused_ to go down without a fight, and so he began to experiment, angling his thrusts upwards, downwards, to the side, until-

" _Oh!_ " Naruko moaned.

A look of triumph spread over Sasuke's face. _'There it is,'_ he thought. Now that he had located her G-spot, he knew he had her. Once he detected the right rhythm… let's just say…

"Ugh… ugh… ugh…" she moaned, her hands tightening around his torso, her legs shaking. She _refused_ to say the words he wanted to say ("Faster! Harder!") but he seemed to know them instinctively, quickening his pace. A coil in her stomach, tightly wound, about to burst-

They came at the same time. Naruko shuddering and groaning, her walls rippling around his member.. Sasuke muffled a curse into her neck as he shot his seed inside of her.

Together, they fell on the bed, huffing and puffing, bodies sweaty and hair disheveled. Naruko shuddered at the warmth inside of her, Sasuke quietly musing about the way her breasts jiggled with every breath she took.

It was silent for a moment.

"Round two?" Sasuke suggested.

Naruko grinned. "I thought you'd never ask," she said, closing the distance between them and slamming her lips to his. This time, she was straddling him, and-

Well, Sasuke didn't remember anything after that.

* * *

When he awoke, it was bright. Too bright. Way, way, _way_ too bright. His head throbbed with pain, as if there were a monkey pounding away at the inside of his forehead.

He let out a long, lingering groan.

And immediately regretted it.

"You're awake!" a voice chirped, and he felt something warm press against his side. Yet another groan escaped Sasuke's lips, the Uchiha reaching a hand up to rub his forehead, as if it would soothe the searing headache he had.

Sasuke opened his eyes, to stare into the piercing blue ones of Naruko. "Mito…" he murmured, without thinking.

Naruko laughed. "It's Naruko, dummy!" she said, tapping him on the nose. "And you're Sasuke. Did you forget?"

He groaned. "Why are you so cheery?" Sasuke mumbled. "You drank _three_ times as much as I did, and I feel like… I want to fucking _die_."

Another laugh. "Maybe you're just a light weight." Naruko said.

"Or you're inhuman…" Sasuke grumbled.

She grinned. Sasuke was a _little_ disappointed that she wasn't naked anymore - she had haphazardly thrown her shirt back on, although it did little to conceal her slim thighs or the way her nipples poked through the fabric. He swallowed, uncomfortably aware of the fact that his member was half hard already.

"Last night was really… really… _really_ , awesome." she murmured, although it sounded more like a purr. Her eyes were so _blue_. He was really dumbfounded by it, because that specific shade contrasted so magnificently with her tanned skin, and her shockingly blonde hair.

"Yea- yeah." Sasuke said. Another harsh swallow. Discretely, he tried to adjust the sheets so that his bulge wasn't quite as noticeable.

"I kind of want to do it again…" she murmured. Was she getting closer?

"Do you?" he asked.

"I do…"

Their lips were an inch away…

And then a sound, like a bullet, as someone _hammered_ on the door. " _Sasuke!"_ a familiar voice roared. "I know you're in there!"

"Oh… shit…!" Sasuke hissed.

Naruko stared at him. "Who the hell is that?" she whispered, flinching slightly as yet another round of harsh bangs sounded on the door.

"My cousin." Sasuke said. "Quick- you need to hide. Get… get under the bed. Fast!"

"Alright!" she said. Naruko rolled off the side of the bed, slid beneath the bed, and went still. Just in time as well, because the door burst open - the lock busted ( _'They're going to make me pay for that,'_ Sasuke thought) - and Shisui's enraged face on the other side.

Sasuke tried to look innocent. But Shisui's gaze traveled down… skirting from Sasuke's boxers laying on the floor, to Naruko's bra and panties beside them.

"Okay- okay." Sasuke said, raising his hands as if he were surrendering. "I know what you're thinking. _But_ , I mean, old enough to kill, old enough to drink, old enough to… erm… have sex?"

Shisui took a few threatening steps forward. It took every ounce of will for Sasuke to not recoil. Because even though he wasn't twelve anymore, and could likely hold his own against Shisui in a fight, his cousin was fucking _scary_ when he was mad.

"You're- you're seventeen years old!" Shisui shouted. "You shouldn't be… you… argh…!" He kicked the side of the bed. He took a few deep breaths, running his hands through his hair. "Okay… okay. Here is what is going to happen, Sasuke." Shisui said, turning to his younger cousin. "You are going to get dressed. That girl, hidden under the bed or in the closet is going to get dressed. You and I are going to leave. That girl is going to leave. And we will never, ever, _ever_ speak of this to Mikoto-basan or Itachi, alright?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Good. Get _fucking_ dressed." Shisui snarled. Then, he swept out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. Her face rather white, Naruko crawled out from beneath the bed, sitting down on the mattress. "Your cousin is… wow…" Naruko mumbled, rubbing her head.

"Yeah." Sasuke said, having already gotten to his feet, pulling on his boxers and searching about for his pants and his shirt.

"So… you're leaving then?" Naruko asked, twirling a bit of hair around her finger.

"Have to." Sasuke said. "Unfortunately, my cousin isn't the negotiating type, and I really don't want to find out what he'll do if I piss him off even more."

"I see." Naruko murmured, biting her lip. She was silent for a moment, as Sasuke shrugged on his trousers. "Are we… I- uh…" She trailed off for a moment. "Can we do this again?" Naruko asked.

Sasuke blinked. Typically, he was the type to - for lack of a better way to put it - fuck someone and just ignore them if they tried to cling to him afterwards. But… Mito or Naruko, whatever her name was, she was… different. Really, _really_ hot, now that he knew what lay beneath that outfit which did nothing for her figure. Funny. A girl he could tolerate, a girl who didn't roll over like a doormat when faced by him…

"Sure." he said.

She beamed at him. "Awesome!" Naruko said. She paused. "How will we-?"

Sasuke sighed. The few pouches strapped to his thigh, thankfully, yielded a pen and some paper. He scribbled down his address on it. "There." he said, pressing it into her hand. "Come over anytime… Naruko." He smirked at her. And then, he turned around, wrenching the door open (taking extra care to make sure Shisui couldn't look in and see Naruko half-naked on the bed) and strolling out. The door closed behind him.

She waited a moment.

And then, Naruko giggled, pressing her hand to her mouth, her cheeks flushed slightly. _'Best night ever!'_ she declared internally. When she had decided to stay out late, go to some seedy bar and get her drink on, she hadn't anticipated on… well, _that_. But it had been worth it. _So_ worth it.

She grinned unconsciously. "I need a shower," she muttered to herself, easing herself off the bed. She peeled off the shirt she had thrown on, stepped into the bathroom, and closed the door behind her.

It wasn't exactly the most glamorous of stories to tell your children about how you met your spouse - getting drunk, sleeping with some person they hardly knew, and agreeing to essentially become fuck buddies. But, for Uchiha Sasuke and for Uzumaki Naruko, it was the spark of a relationship that would change their lives forever.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap. Thanks for reading!**

 **Rewritten: 9/29/2017**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

They'd made it about halfway down the hall, before Shisui stopped him. Sasuke turned. "What is it?" Sasuke grumbled, rubbing his head with an irritated expression on his face. "I still-" What he still felt, Shisui never got to know, considering the elder of the two Uchihas promptly sunk a fist into Sasuke's gut.

Sasuke doubled over, wheezing.

"Wha- what the hell…?" Sasuke gasped, forced to press a hand against the wall in order to stay on his feet.

"Where do you get it from you idiot?" Shisui growled. "Huh? Itachi was a genius! Mikoto-basan, Fugaku-sama, they're smart! But, no. Little Sasuke decides to- to go out and sleep with some random bitch-"

"... she's not a bitch…"

"- and completely blow off his family!" Shisui continued on, apparently not having heard Sasuke.

He blinked. "Wait…" Sasuke began. "What do you mean?"

Shisui glared at him. "Oh, I don't know." Shisui said, in a mock innocent voice. "I seem to recall Mikoto-basan inviting you, Itachi, and I over to breakfast this morning. Guess who decided _not_ to show up? And guess who ended up having to search all across town for you?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment.

"... sorry." he murmured, still rubbing the bruise on his stomach.

Shisui shook his head. "It's fine." he said. "Just- ugh. Try not to be such an idiot in the future, alright?"

A wry smile curled Sasuke's lips. "I can't make any promises," he said jokingly. "But I'll try."

Shisui nodded. "Alright." he said, giving Sasuke a clap on the shoulder. "Mikoto-basan isn't _too_ mad." Shisui murmured. "Although, again, we will never, _ever_ mention what actually happened to either her, or Itachi. If they found out what you did…"

Both Shisui and Sasuke shuddered.

"They'd probably end up blaming me, for some reason." Shisui said. "So, let's just- I don't know, come up with some excuse that they'll buy. How about-"

* * *

It took Naruko most of her rather lengthy shower to come up with an excuse that she at least _thought_ her parents would believe.

Which was tough. Because her mom and dad were _crazy_ smart, between Namikaze Minato (the freakin' Yondaime Hokage!) and Uzumaki Kushina, her parents weren't to be underestimated.

So, as a result, she had to grapple with a lot of different ideas, some good and others… not so good.

For instance around the point she was soaping up her armpits-

" _Oh, Naruko!" cried Kushina. "Where have you been? Your father and I have been so worried!"_

" _Fear not, kaa-san!" exclaimed Naruko, who was standing on a conveniently placed platform, her blonde hair waving in the wind. "I was merely staying at a friend's house!"_

 _Kushina blinked. "What friend?"_

" _Er…"_

Damn, Naruko thought, chewing the inside of her cheek with an expression of mild irritation. She'd forgotten - she didn't have any friends, at least, none where Kushina and Minato would be comfortable with her sleeping over with.

Okay. Nothing- nothing to worry about. She just had to think of a _new_ idea.

A few came to mind.

" _I was home, but you guys just didn't notice me!"_

Nope. Her father was a chakra sensor, and her mother was no slouch.

" _I was feeling a little under the weather, so I went to the hospital to get checked out and to make sure I was alright they kept me over night!"_

And what if they checked with the hospital? Another big fat no.

Hmm. What if she just told the truth?

" _Tou-san, kaa-san… I went out to a bar, got drunk, slept with some random guy, got his address, and I'm probably going to sleep with him again as soon as I can."_

… needless to say, that was another no.

Naruko scratched her soaking wet hair, a look of concentration scrunching up her features to the point where her whisker marks appeared almost faded. What could she do? Never before had she stayed out _all_ night, always, she'd spent the night nestled in the safety of her bed - it was either there, or cuddled in her parent's bed after a particularly violent nightmare.

Strangely, it didn't feel all that… odd. She'd felt really _safe_ , her head resting against Sasuke's chest, the steady beating of his heart lulling her to sleep…

Naruko shook her head. _'You can't get distracted now.'_ she told herself. After all, her parents weren't going to accept just _any_ excuse after all. And so, as she washed the sweat off of her body, as she extinguished the stench from her and Sasuke's love making, she came up with one. It was simple, really. Elegant - well, at least as elegant as a person like Naruko could manage. She was actually kind of proud of it, to be completely honest.

She turned off the water. Toweled herself off. Naruko kind of frowned at the clothes she had worn the previous night - thankfully, Sasuke had gotten them off of her before any _real_ damage had been done, but the smell of alcohol still hung over them. She had to improvise slightly. Rubbing a thin layer of shampoo into the collar and waistband of her shirt and pants respectively did the trick, banishing most of the smell and replacing it with a fruity scent. Mostly. It was the best she could do considering the circumstances.

Hoping beyond hope that Sasuke had paid for the hotel room, she prided open a window, and scampered outside. She tooks to the rooftops as soon as she could - the air blowing past her seeming to uncrumple her clothes a bit, and to dry her hair as well. Naruko even considered making a detour to the training grounds, to rub some dirt or mud into her skin in order to further reinforce her excuse, but she decided against it. Her father and mother were probably worried sick, and she didn't want to keep them waiting any longer.

For the first time in her life, the house she had grown up in appeared almost… chilling. Disturbing, even. As if the very floors she had run around as a child _knew_ what she had done, and were just waiting for Naruko to give herself away to her parents. She glared at the front door for a moment, before realizing that it was a… well, a house. It couldn't know what she had done, could it?

She frowned… could it?

In the end, it didn't really matter whether her house was a tattletale or not. Swallowing down her fears and jabbing her gut slightly, as if to quell the sinking feeling in it, she stepped up to the front door. Naruko fished her key from her back pocket, turned it in the lock, and let herself in.

It was as if they had been waiting for her. And consider her father's prowess as a sensor, they likely had felt her approaching for several minutes now.

"I'm home…!" Naruko announced, hoping she had an apologetic grin on her face instead of the horrified look she _really_ wanted to wear right now.

They were standing there. Violet and blue eyes trained on her. Red hair seeming to wave slightly, as if it was powered by her mother's hardly restrained anger - and her father was there as well, although Naruko was infinitely more scared of Uzumaki Kushina despite the Yondaime's legendary reputation.

"Naruko…" Kushina ground out, and even Minato flinched. "Where were you last night?" Her voice didn't sound angry. In all actuality, it sounded sweet - innocent, loving, and for kami's sake, it took everything she had and a little more than that for Naruko to not run screaming in the other direction.

Naruko hung her head. "I-I was at the training grounds." she mumbled. "Trying to add a wind affinity to my Rasengan. I… um… overdid it a bit, and I lost track of time, and I fell asleep, and I'm _really, really_ sorry, honest."

They continued to stare at her for a moment, hands folded across their chests, stern looks on their faces. And then, their expressions seemed to soften. Kushina closed the distance between her and Naruko in two long strides, and pulled her daughter into a warm hug.

"Don't you _ever_ make us worry like that again!" Kushina said, nudging herself to the side so that Minato could join in on the impromptu family hug.

"Seriously." Minato said. "I almost had the ANBU dispatched for you, Naruko! If someone had-" He drifted off, but Naruko felt a sting of guilt in her heart. She wasn't sure whether it was from lying to her parents, or from making them worry so much. Probably a bit of both.

"Sorry…" she mumbled.

Kushina let out a sigh. "It's okay," she said, finally freeing Naruko from the bone squeezing hug that would have incapacitated a lesser woman. She took a step back, pursing her lips together. "I'm going to be honest, if you're going to be ready for tonight, you'd better start getting ready now."

Naruko blinked. "Huh?"

"Did you forget?" Minato said. "We're having dinner with-"

* * *

"Oi, Mikoto-basan!" Shisui called, as he and Sasuke stepped into the kitchen. "Look who the the cat dragged in!"

Mikoto turned around.

Sasuke gulped.

His mother was a… well, let him put it like this - the phrase 'appearances can be deceiving' was likely based on her.

Because even in a flowy blue dress, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, thick yellow rubber gloves pulled over her hands, and bubbles from dish soap flowing around her, she still looked intimidating. Dangerously so.

"Sasuke," Mikoto said, her voice light. "Why don't you come over here?"

Internally thinking that he would much rather prefer to do _anything_ other than that, Sasuke slowly shuffled his way to his mother's side. "Yes, kaa-san?" he said, his voice _totally_ not sounding as if he were petrified with fear.

She flashed him a smile that looked as if she were debating on spit roasting him over a fire. "Look at this." she said, gesturing to the sink, which was filled with soapy water and dishes. "Do you know where these came from?" Mikoto asked.

Sasuke swallowed. "I get the feeling that you're going to tell me either way." he said, his voice sounding strangely distant.

"I am." Mikoto said. "I woke up at _four o'clock in the morning_ , Sasuke." she murmured. "I spent a long, long time slaving over the stove, to make you, your brother, your cousin, and your father a delicious breakfast. Fugaku was here. Shisui was here. Itachi was here. They all ate my breakfast. They all loved it." She took a deep breath, still eerily calm, before turning to him. "Do you know what you're going to do to pay me back for _not_ being here, Sasuke?" she said.

"Wh- what?" Sasuke asked.

"A very, _very_ important guest is coming over here tonight." Mikoto said seriously. "And I am going to do the same thing I did this morning, all over again. But - guess what? You're going to help me." She took a step closer. "And you're going to like it. And then, afterwards, you're going to sit down at the table with your father, Itachi, and I, and you're going to smile, you're going to laugh, and you're going to make the Uchiha clan look like the most well behaved family in all the Elemental Nations. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes…"

" _What?"_

Sasuke swallowed. "Yes, ma'am." he said.

"Good." Mikoto said. She shook her head, looking him up and down with an expression that she usually saved for Shisui. "You were out training all night again, weren't you?" she said. "I swear... " Mikoto let out an exasperated spy. "Go clean yourself up."

He didn't say anything. Sasuke merely hurried out of the kitchen as fast as he could, pausing only to shoot Shisui - who was snickering silently in the corner - a heated glare.

Had sleeping with Naruko been worth suffering his mother's wrath?

' _Honestly… yeah.'_ Sasuke thought. Not only was she hot, but she was _tolerable_ as well. For Sasuke, calling a girl tolerable was practically the equivalent of declaring his love for her then and there.

To be completely, and totally honest with himself - he was already looking forward to spending another night with her. Something about her was just so intoxicating, so… just… he couldn't even describe it. Hopefully she wouldn't show up to his house tonight - tomorrow, or the day after would be more preferable. As long as he saw her soon, Sasuke had no qualms about it.

And fortunately… or unfortunately, depending on how you saw it, Sasuke was going to be seeing Naruko very soon indeed.

* * *

Naruko tugged at the hem of her dress, wishing that it was just a _tad_ longer, so that it could better hide the way her knees were shaking. Because… well, she was nervous. More nervous than she would ever admit to her parents, to anyone.

Dinner with the Uchihas was not something she was looking forward to. She'd heard of the matriarch of the clan - Mikoto - from her mother's stories, but she'd never actually met any of them. She knew of their kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, and of how feared it was… but she knew that imagining and looking at pictures or artist's depiction of things could be (and likely would be) thousands of times different from actually experiencing, or seeing them.

Predictably, her mother had bullied her out of wearing something comfortable and not so showy. So, instead of her normal orange sweatshirts and such, she was wearing a nice, flowy, warm yellow dress that clashed magnificently with her hair. Speaking of which, her hair was done up - pulled out of their customary twin pigtails, and instead long and silky, falling down her back in a glossy curtain that had taken an hour of tugging and pulling from her mother and a trusty brush to achieve.

And when Kushina said that she might as well get ready _hours_ before they even needed to be there, she wasn't lying. An hour of hair tugging. An hour of her mother sorting through dresses that Naruko hadn't even known she had. Half an hour spent locked in a bathroom, Kushina banging on the door as she tried to coerce Naruko into wearing makeup (which she blissfully managed to avoid).

It had been terrible. Seriously! Why did she have to get so dressed up for? It wasn't as if anyone was going to notice her, not when she was dwarfed by Uzumaki Kushina and the Yondaime freakin' Hokage!

Ugh. She loved, loved, _loved_ her parents, but seriously, the whole 'being super famous thing' combined with the whole 'super overprotective of their baby girl' deal was a… well, it was a whirlwind that combined to make her really want to run away from home on certain occasions.

Not that she ever would. Again, she really loved her parents. And she wouldn't hurt them by running away, heavens no. Just one night away had practically tortured them with worry, and if she were to disappear…? She couldn't imagine how they would react.

She swallowed down a lump in her throat, that no matter how much she tried, wouldn't seem to go away. It might seem crazy - but dinner with another family, outside of the house, was a _crazy_ thing for her.

And so, as Kushina and Minato lead the way through the winding streets of Konoha, Naruko was hardly able to contain the concoction of excitement and anxiety that was swirling around her gut.

There were two guards standing at the gates that lead to the Uchiha compound. They exchanged glances - and with only a split second of hesitation, bowed low to their Hokage. Minato nodded in return, a soft smile on his lips.

They walked through the streets of the compound. Dusk was rapidly approaching, but despite that, people still mulled about - sweeping store fronts, adding a fresh coat of paint to their house, or other menial activities. A few even looked and pointed.

"... Hokage-sama's daughter!"

"She's quite the looker."

"Looks a lot like her father, no?"

"That girl sure stands out like a sore thumb… wonder why I haven't seen her before…"

Once again, Naruko attempted - and failed - to swallow the lump in her throat. She really missed her typical pants, for her hands were clammy as they could possibly be, and she didn't want to leave wet marks on the yellow dress she was draped in.

Thankfully, the rest of the walk through the compound seemed to pass by quickly. Soon, they were standing before the door of a house that… well, looked like any other house next to it, if a little cleaner and better kept. Minato reached a hand forward, and knocked on the door.

It seemed as if not even several seconds passed before the door was opened. And Naruko was momentarily _floored_ by the beautiful woman who lay behind it. Long, flowing raven hair (that was… familiar?), ebony eyes that glistening in the light (so… familiar…), and a sparkling sapphire dress that accentuated her figure.

"Hokage-sama." the woman said, bowing low to Minato. "Kushina-san." She bowed to Kushina. She looked past the two, eying Naruko curiously. "And-" She paused, as if waiting for something.

"Naruko…" Kushina murmured, after a moment of silence.

"Oh!" Naruko said, jumping slightly. "Uh- uh… nice to meet you!" Naruko said, mimicking the woman's bow.

She smiled at her. "It's a pleasure, Naruko-san." the woman said. "I don't think we've met - I'm Uchiha Mikoto." She bowed, just as low as she had for Minato and Kushina. Mikoto smiled. "Come in," she said, stepping to the side. "Tonight's dinner is almost ready. My sons are setting the table, and Fugaku should be right out."

"You have a very lovely home," Minato commented, as the Uzumaki-Namikaze family kicked off their shoes, piling them in a corner that MIkoto indicated.

"Thank you." Mikoto said. "Itachi!" she called into the other room. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, kaa-san." came a young man's voice, one that sounded… low, and soothing, Naruko thought.

"Excellent." Mikoto murmured, smoothing out the front of her dress. "Well," she began, turning to Minato, Kushina, and Naruko. "Follow me." They began to walk, the three of them trailing behind the raven haired woman. "I've been looking forward to this for quite a while now," Mikoto said, clearly trying to keep _some_ sort of conversation going. "It's not every day that you have the Yondaime himself inside of your home."

Minato smiled good naturedly. "I've never seen a house quite as… clean as this one." he said, staring about, from the well polished hardwood floors to the spotless furniture.

Kushina sighed. "Well, maybe if you picked up a duster every now and then…" she grumbled.

"I help clean up!" Minato said, affronted.

"The only time you do anything is when kaa-san makes you." Naruko pointed out. Minato shot her a glare that conveyed something like ' _Who's side are you on?'_ , while Kushina laughed. Mikoto smiled, as they stepped into the kitchen.

"Itachi," Mikoto began. "Sasuke. Meet the Yondaime Hokage, his wife, and his daughter."

A familiar head of spiky hair. That same pale skin. And when he turned, Naruko froze, as blue eyes clashed with dark ones.

Itachi, ever the calm and collected one, seemed not to notice his brother's sudden shock. "Hokage-sama." Itachi said. "Kushina-sama. Naruko-sama." Being an ANBU, he was privy to certain things - and although he hadn't ever seen the Hokage's daughter before, aside from brief glimpses, he at the very least knew what her name was.

Sasuke's state of shock seemed to settle into stoicism relatively quickly. Still, his movements were stiff, robotic, and the way his gaze continued to swivel to Naruko made it obvious what was up, at least, if his family had actually suspected anything. However, if Sasuke was making it obvious, then Naruko might as well be holding a sign that said ' _I slept with Sasuke last night!'_.

She gaped at him, like a fish. Her blue eyes the size of dinner plates, her ears so red that it could blend in with her mother's hair.

Kushina turned, and just… frowned at her. "Is everything alright?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on Naruko's shoulder.

Naruko shook her head swiftly, biting the inside of her cheek. "Everything's fine." she said hurriedly. "Just- erm, I can't wait to eat!"

Kushina continued to frown at her, following Naruko's gaze to Sasuke. To her utter horror, the red headed woman smirked. "Ah…" Kushina whispered, as Minato and Mikoto struck up a conversation, Sasuke and Itachi continuing to set up the table. "I think Naruko-chan's got a little crush," Kushina purred, soft enough that no one aside from her daughter could hear her words. "He is cute. Seems a little grouchy though, maybe you should actually try and talk to him before you ask him out."

"Kaa-san…!" Naruko whined.

Kushina grinned. Fugaku soon arrived in the room, he and Minato exchanging pleasantries. Soon, Mikoto was directing them to sit at the table. And just as her luck would have it, Naruko ended up sitting directly across from Sasuke.

As Mikoto began to pass plates topped with great quantities of steaming hot food, Sasuke and Naruko stared at each other. Her cheeks slightly rosy, his face stoic.

He leaned in slightly, casting a glance either way. On one side, Fugaku and Minato were quietly talking about a new policy the Hyuga had implemented, one that could have far reaching consequences if other clans decided to adopt it. On his other side, Mikoto, Itachi, and Kushina were engaged in a fairly heated debate about whether _Suiton_ would beat out _Fuuton_.

"We can talk about this later." Sasuke murmured to Naruko. "Act like we have never met before. Can you do not that?"

She gave him a hesitant nod in return.

"Good."

They lapsed back into silence. Thankfully, Naruko had an excuse not to be her normally bubbly self - two, actually. She bet her parents thought she was just _super_ nervous about being around so many new people. And the other excuse being that she could keep her mouth and hands preoccupied with devouring Sasuke's mom's mouthwateringly amazing cooking.

"This is really good!" Kushina said, through a mouthful of salmon. She gulped it down noisily, letting out a refreshed sigh once it was down. "You know, no offense, but I thought… well, I thought that you'd have servants and stuff to cook the food, so…"

Mikoto smiled sweetly. "The Uchiha clan is very independent," she said, almost sagely. "The idea of allowing a butler or a maid to clean our house, do our laundry, cook our food is… well, unsettling. We do all of that ourselves. Perhaps clans such as the Hyuga may look down on us for it… but, oh well."

"I wish I had two sons to do things around the house," Kushina grumbled. "Minato's always 'working', and this one-" She jammed a thumb in Naruko's direction. "-can barely crawl out of bed most days."

Naruko did not like the smirk that was curling Sasuke's lips.

"It's not _all_ fun and games." Mikoto said. "Itachi has always been so busy, so Sasuke, really, is the one who helps me the most. He even helped me with dinner tonight - who do you think made the rice?"

Now it was Naruko's turn to smirk, as Sasuke glowered in her direction.

' _Momma's boy.'_ she mouthed at him, and his face darkened even further.

"Mmm… I've always preferred yellow to white…" Kushina said. "But this is still really good." She beamed in Sasuke's direction for a moment, before turning back to Mikoto.

Mikoto and Kushina's conversation seemed to quiet down after that, the two women quietly conversing between each other as they ate their food.

Naruko was still smirking in Sasuke's direction. However, she couldn't help the flicker of surprise that shot through her as he smirked as well.

" _So_ ," Sasuke began, leaning forward, resting his elbows languidly on the table. "Are you enjoying the meal, Naruko-san?"

She frowned. Thankfully, none of the others seemed to notice the flush that was creeping up her neck. "I am." Naruko said, resolutely.

Sasuke smiled. It wasn't a nice and sweet one, like Minato or Kushina's, or one that made you feel safe, like his brother's. It was a predatory one. As if he were eying his prey… which in this case, was her.

"That's a very nice dress you're wearing." Sasuke said, rather uncharacteristically. Naruko was perplexed for a moment - until she saw the way his gaze was traveling, flowing over her curves, Sasuke even sneaking a peek underneath the table for posterity's sake. She crossed her legs.

The tips of her ears turned _vermillion_. He was checking her out! And purposefully making her feel as uncomfortable… and _sexy_ as possible. "That's a good looking shirt." Naruko ground out. _'I want to tear it off of you and just kiss your neck and- wait, what?'_ Her flush intensified.

"Thanks." Sasuke said, his smile turning into that ever typical smirk.

Naruko frowned, holding her tongue. Oh, there were a lot of things she wanted to say to Sasuke right now - and calling him a teme was about the nicest word on the list. However, cursing out the Uchiha patriarch's second son likely wasn't the best of ideas. Instead, she settled on something a little more covert - though no less satisfying. She glanced beneath the table, aimed carefully, and then sunk a well placed kick into Sasuke's shin.

He grit his teeth, hardly managing to stifle the gasp of pain that threatened to escape his mouth.

Mikoto turned, her face scrunching up as she saw her son's strained features. "Are you alright, sweetie?" Mikoto asked, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Yeah." Sasuke grumbled. "Just a… bit of a stomach ache, that's all."

"Alright," Mikoto said. She turned back to Kushina, just in time to miss Sasuke throw Naruko a wicked glare that made the blonde want to cackle maniacally.

' _Take that, teme!'_ she thought, grinning.

Sasuke, it seemed, was not beaten. He was silent for a moment. Stewing as he alternated between glaring at the last of the food on his plate and at Naruko. However, that same familiar smirk found its way across his lips, and Naruko was left wondering as to what his next plan was.

It quickly became evident.

There was a clatter, of a pair of chopsticks hitting the floor. "Whoops," Sasuke said, unconvincingly. "I'll get that." In a flash, he ducked beneath the table.

Naruko stilled, as she felt a hand snake beneath her skirt. His fingers, again, like molten lava against her skin, sending shivers up her spine. Inching ever closer to her core, she could almost feel-

He withdrew, the chopsticks clasped in his hand, sitting back down in his chair with his smirk twice as wide as before. Naruko glared fiercely at him, her face red. _'Jerk!'_ she thought. It quickly became evident what was going on. While she was resorting to more… conventional tactics of teasing him, he was using his sex appeal, his ireresterbally _awesome_ sexual appeal to… to…

She ground her teeth.

Oh… oh, she wanted to get him back so badly. But what she was supposed to do? Go beneath the table and grab his crotch? Flash him right here at the table? Jeez, she didn't have many options with the 'sex appeal' route. Dimly, she thought that she really should have given that push up bra in the store a second consideration.

Thankfully, she was saved from her troubles of thinking up a new way to retaliate by the mother of her tormenter. "So, Naruko-san." Mikoto said, snapping the blonde from her stupor. "I don't want to be intrusive - but you _have_ to tell me the story behind those whisker marks you have."

Naruko frowned, tearing her gaze away from Sasuke. "Um… they're- they're birthmarks." she said hurriedly.

"Complications with… you know what." Minato said..

There was a pregnant silence. Sasuke blinked in confusion, while the others at the table - especially Naruko - seemed especially tense.

In typical fashion, Kushina was the one to break it. "They _do_ look cute on her, though." Kushina said, her voice sounding rather shaky, but honest at the same time. Just like that, the tension seemed to be broken.

"That _is_ true." Mikoto said, smiling her same bright smile. "What do you think Itachi?" He muttered something about his fiance before turning to the Yondaime. "Fugaku?" A noncommittal grunt. "... Sasuke?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment. "... sure…" he said at long last.

' _Did he just call me cute?'_ Naruko thought.

The others seemed not to care. The babble of conversation started up again. The rest of dinner was eaten without much event, and dessert went just as quietly. Naruko and Sasuke seemed to avoid each other's eyes, their little bout of teasing each other seeming to be the exception for that night.

Minato, Kushina, and Naruko bid goodbye not too soon after dessert was done. Mikoto and Kushina were actually making plans to go out some other time - and Fugaku and Minato seemed to be on… well, not hateful terms at the very least. Sasuke and Naruko, however, continued to ignore each other.

Mikoto coerced (read: bullied, intimidated, and harassed) Sasuke into staying behind and helping her with the dishes. The second that was done, he left as soon as he could, promising not to be late next time he made plans with his mother and giving his father a curt nod, which was returned.

The walk back to his apartment wasn't… long. But, it wasn't short either. He really wasn't in the mood to take to the rooftops on this particular night, and so, he strolled through the streets of the Uchiha compound, and once he was out of there through the crowded and lit roads of Konoha proper.

The apartment building itself was relatively empty, everyone either being inside or out shopping or dining. Unmolested, Sasuke walked through the lobby, and took the stairs three at a time until he was on his floor.

There was a surprise waiting for him in front of his door.

Naruko looked up as he rounded the corner, from her position on the floor. She sat, cross legged, her back against the wood of his door. Her hair was once again tied into those twin pigtails that looked so… good (not cute, Sasuke thought, not cute at all…) on her. He noticed that she was still in the same dress that she had worn at dinner.

"Hey," she said, climbing to her feet, those big blue eyes staring intently at him.

"Hey." Sasuke said, stopping before her.

There was a long pause. And then-

"You didn't tell me you were an Uchiha." Naruko said.

Sasuke frowned. "You didn't tell me you were the Hokage's daughter," he replied.

"That's a fair point." she murmured, rubbing the back of her neck. "I guess my… erm… 'secret' was a little more shocking, no?"

"Yeah. Finding out that I slept with the Yondaime's daughter was a little… well, please, _please_ tell me you didn't tell him or his wife about what happened last night." Sasuke said.

"I didn't." Naruko said, and it seemed that he believed her, because Sasuke let out a sigh of relief afterwards. It was her turn to frown now, the blonde fiddling with the hem of her dress, staring down at her feet. "So… is… um… is _this_ off?"

"You mean what we agreed on?" Sasuke said. "That, well, that you could come over _any_ time?"

She nodded.

Sasuke smirked. "Please." he said, waving a hand, causing her eyes to widen. "I'm already in the dog's den for sleeping with you. So what if I do it again? What's the Hokage going to do, kill me twice?"

"Re-really?" Naruko said. She couldn't keep the excitement from her voice.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. With a few swift, precise movements, he did a few things in the span of only a couple of seconds - he unlocked his door, threw it open, seized Naruko's arm and pulled her into his apartment. He closed the door behind her with his foot, and before she could even begin to process what was happening, he had dragged her into the bedroom

"Now…?" she asked.

Sasuke let out a laugh. "I wasn't lying about that dress," he said plainly, already undoing his pants. "We can make this quick, so you can get home on time tonight."

Naruko grinned. "Alright," she said, sliding the straps of her dress down her shoulders.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened afterwards. Needless to say, for quite a while, gasps and moans of pleasure filled the room - along with squeaking, the sound of the headboard slamming against the wall, and a thick slapping.

Afterwards, Naruko felt sweaty and kind of… well, _dirty_ (in a good way), but she felt looser and better than she had in ages. Making love when you were sober was much, _much_ better than when you were drunk.

Sasuke saw her off after that. He gave her some perfume a previous girl had left at his place, that he had never bothered to throw away, in order to mask the smell that clung to her. Her dress back in place, her hair fixed, she headed out of his apartment, an infectious and never ceasing grin plastered on her face.

That night, the both of them went to sleep peacefully.

Sasuke, clad in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else, flopped onto his bed and dreamt of blue eyes and blonde hair the same color as the sun.

Naruko, sporting the froggie pajamas she adored so much, snuggled into her bed, a happy smile on her face as visions of ebony hair and black eyes filled her slumber.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Be sure to leave a review!**

 **Rewritten: 9/29/2017**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again!  
**

 **I got a whopping _eleven_ reviews on the last chapter, which is awesome! Here's a few replies to some of them:**

 _ **AlyssaOtaku69 -**_ **That question will be answered in this chapter.**

 _ **VongolaDecima -**_ **Mikoto is just trying to match make her son... but, unfortunately she is blissfully unaware that he has already found his match, ;).**

 _ **Twintania**_ **\- Google translates this roughly to - 'Thank you for the chapter'. If that's the case, you're welcome!**

 _ **StopTeasing -**_ **Let's hope you don't miss out on this chapter either.  
**

 **Alright. A couple of things before we get into the chapter.**

 **For the newbies (or for dub readers), Katon is essentially Fire Style, or Fire Release. Raiton is Lightning, Suiton is Water, and so on. I will be using the English names for the various techniques that will be used in this story, except for a few where the names just plain sound cooler in Romaji. However, if it is an elemental jutsu, it will begin with the element release in Romaji. Just a bit of a warning.**

 **Well, that's about all I have to say. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to leave a review - I read all of them, regardless of the content, or how long/short they may be. And, if you haven't already, don't forget to favorite and follow the story.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Smack. Smack. Smack._

Minato let out a sigh, as he shook his head slightly. He cast a glance to the side, before returning to his paperwork, a mildly irritated expression on his face.

 _Smack. Smack. Smack._

"Do you _really_ have to do that here?" Minato blurted out, his voice exasperated as he stared at the form of his daughter beside him - the girl happily chewing ( _loudly_ ) on a stick of bubblegum.

Naruko grinned happily from her seat on the side of his desk, her legs swinging freely beneath her. "But I'm _boooreedd_ , tou-san." she drawled, her voice slightly muffled by the large bubble she was blowing, which burst with a _pop_.

"Yeah, I'm aware." Minato grumbled. "That's the fourth time you've told me you're bored in the last twenty minutes. Why don't you go… I don't know… read some books or something?"

Naruko shot him an incredulous look, and the Yondaime

Hokage wisely chose to drop that particular line of conversation.

"Fine," Minato said. "Fine. You want something to do?" He dug through the paperwork on his desk. "You win." He grumbled something incoherent under his breath, blue eyes flickering back and forth as he quickly scribbled something on a piece of parchment.

"Yay!" Naruko cheered, grinning brightly. "What do you have for me, tou-san?" she asked merrily.

Minato sighed, setting the pen down. "I'll admit, you got along pretty well with Fugaku-san's son the other day at dinner." he said. "And… considering his sensei is Kakashi, I've decided to put you on his team, for today only." A pause. "Congratulations, Naruko - you are now officially an honorary member of Team Seven."

Naruko blinked. "... really?" Naruko said after a moment, her voice rather subdued although Minato seemed not to notice. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." Minato said, nodding. "They'll be at training ground three. Kakashi and them will likely have already begun training, so, you'd better get a move on."

"Great!" Naruko said, beaming. "Where's training ground thre-?"

"Take the main road down until just past Ichiraku's," Minato said curtly. "Take a right, then a left, and then the signs should be able to help you the rest of the way." A pause. "Now, shoo. I've got work to do."

Naruko leaned down, kissing him on the cheek, before darting out of the office. She managed to suppress the grin that was threatening to break out on her face, at least, until she was outside of the room and in the hall.

' _Score!'_ ' Naruko thought, punching the air. _'I wonder what Sasuke's gonna think when he can see how much ass I can kick!'_

The grin remained on Naruko's face as she jogged through the village. She caught more than just a few glances from some boys, not that the blonde noticed. She bounded up the main street at a light pace, weaving in and out of crowds of people as she followed her father's directions.

The sun beat down on her, the sky far above the village bright and blue, only thin wisps of clouds floating across it. Her blonde hair waved behind her as she went, catching the sun's light and glistening. It was a wonderful, _wonderful_ day, Naruko thought - so bright and so cheerful that she felt as if it were matching her mood.

Thankfully, there was no need for her to go home and change. Naruko was already clad in her kunoichi gear - an outfit that her godfather had gotten her for her fifteenth birthday. An orange jumpsuit with black running up the center, sides, and shoulders. It was formfitting, and despite the fact that it covered her entire body, it was very airy - keeping her cool. Well cool as in she wasn't hot, _and_ cool as in cool.

Before long, the dense urban center of the village had faded into the more rural outskirts. Rather than packed apartment blocks, stores, and offices, Konoha became isolated homes and cottages - kids running freely along the beaten paths, people strolling without a care in the world, laughing and talking freely.

Just as her father had said, after the left there were signs conveniently placed to help her find the rest of the way. Soon, even the rural outskirts faded away, to dense wood and forest that stretched on seemingly for miles and miles. She followed the signs to the third training ground, and before long, she could see a break in the trees far, far ahead.

 _Boom!_

An explosion rocked the earth beneath her feet. Naruko froze - blue eyes widening as she watched bits of debris fly high above the treeline, leaves rustling as a shock wave tore through them.

"You're going to have to be faster than that to catch me." a familiar voice drawled, although it was fairly distant - Naruko could just barely catch it from where she stood.

" _You'd better get your ass back here, Sasuke-kun!"_ a fearsome, female voice roared - causing the hairs on Naruko's neck to stand up.

The blonde ducked into the woods. She crept through the brush, stopping just at the edge of the treeline. Concealed behind a tree trunk, she watched the 'spar' - and she used that term loosely - that was going on within the third training ground.

Great craters littered the clearing, along with what appeared to be the smoking husks of uprooted trees. Scorch marks dotted the floor, along with several brush fires that sent billows of smoke pouring into the air. Bruises and scrapes covered both of the combatants, although it was clear that Sasuke was faring better than his teammate was.

Naruko was mildly surprised upon the sight of Sasuke's teammate. She was incredibly pretty. Short, cropped pink ( _pink?_ ) hair, brilliant emerald eyes, and a small and lithe figure. She clearly had confidence in absolute spades, and judging by the massive holes in the earth that her chakra-infused fists could leave, Naruko thought that confidence was likely well founded.

Her ears perked up.

A breeze gently flowed through the trees, lifting her hair up slightly, tickling her skin.

She turned, to stare in the piercing eye of Hatake Kakashi.

"Naruko," Kakashi murmured - having appeared at her side in an instant, so fast that she hadn't realized he had been there until just a moment before.

"Hey, Kakashi-nii!" Naruko said brightly, grinning at him. "Tou-san said that I-"

"I know." Kakashi said, waving his hand languidly. "He set me a toad ahead to tell me your… 'honorary' status as a member of my team." The two of them turned, watching as the spar continued. "So," Kakashi said. "I heard you, sensei, and Kushina-sama went out to dinner with the Uchihas. How was it?"

"It awesome!" Naruko said. "Mikoto-san was really cool, and so was Fugaku-san and Sasuke… -san," she added as an afterthought. "Not to mention finally getting to see _the_ Uchiha Itachi was pretty sweet as well."

"Interesting." Kakashi said. He took a deep breath, staring at the sky wistfully for a second. "Sasuke, Sakura," Kakashi called - his voice booming out over the clearing despite the jounin keeping it relatively low. "Let's call it a draw for now. I'd like for the two of you to meet your teammate for the day - Uzumaki Naruko." His gaze drifted to the dark haired Uchiha. "Sasuke," he said. "I'm sure the two of you met at dinner the other night, so introductions between the two of you will be needless."

Sasuke let out a grunt in response.

The girl - Naruko assumed that she was Sakura - bound up to them, breathless, her skin coated in sweat. She beamed, her grin so bright that Naruko could have sworn she had gone blind for a second there.

"Nice to meet you, Naruko-san!" Sakura said, extending her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san." Naruko said, gently shaking her hand.

"So!" Sakura chirped, turning to Kakashi. "I don't mean to intrude on Naruko-san's privacy, but, can I ask why she's going to be with us for today?"

Kakashi reached a hand down, casually ruffling Naruko's hair - drawing a squeak from the blonde, who flushed slightly. "Naruko is a bit of a V.I.P, so to speak." he said. "Her life thus far has been rather sheltered… and, as of late, Hokage-sama has asked for her to be brought out into the open. I suppose being on our team today will help to ease her into village life, or, at least that's what Minato-sensei thinks."

Sakura opened her mouth to ask Kakashi another question - but, Sasuke tuned them both out, his mind in another place entirely. Sasuke's gaze was either focused intently on Naruto, or fixated elsewhere si it didn't look like he was focusing on the blonde.

' _We've been meeting a little too much for it all to be coincidences,'_ Sasuke thought rather cynically. _'I really, really hope that she isn't stalking me. It'd be like the academy all over again.'_

A shiver ran down his spines. The amount of times that Uchiha policemen had been forced to drag fangirls out of the compound, after they had tried to sneak into his room or ambush him in the garden… kami, he could still hear Shisui's teasing even now.

"So," Kakashi said, drawing Sasuke's attention. "The three of you are all now acquainted. Wonderful." He cleared his throat. "Now, in order for us to get to better know our teammates, how about you three do a little demonstration for each other?"

"A… demonstration?" Naruko asked.

"Well, of course." Kakashi said. "Each of you - just show us what you can do, within reason of course. Techniques, jutsu, special abilities… that kind of stuff. Sakura," he said, turning to the pinkette. "You're up first."

"Alright," Sakura said. "Don't freak out," she said to Naruko. "But, I can do _this_."

She held out a hand in front of her, pale skin glistening in the sunlight. And then, Sakura fiercely gripped her pointer finger, and with a sickening _crack_ , broke the bone.

Naruko gasped, recoiling. "W-What the hell are you d-doing?" the blonde blurted.

Sakura smirked, although she winced slightly at the pain. "Just wait a second," she murmured. Her non-broken hand glowed a dim green color, and before long she was waving it over the broken finger - and before their very eyes, it was repairing itself, the bone popping back into place, the broken skin sewing itself back together. In just a minute, it was as good as new.

"Show off," Sasuke grumbled.

"Bite me." Sakura said to him, before turning back to the blonde. "I'm a medical nin," she clarified - Naruko staring at her with a mixture of horror and fascination. "Taught by the sannin Tsunade herself. You've seen the other things I can do," Sakura said, gesturing to the craters and the upended trees that littered the clearing behind them. "Super strength comes with the medical nin bill. I don't have any elemental techniques yet, but… I'm working on it."

"That was certainly an… interesting demonstration, Sakura." Kakashi said. "Although, I'll have to ask you _not_ to do something like that in front of Naruko again, at least, not without warning." The jounin had noticed the blonde was starting to a look a little green.

"Yeah, that was cool and all…" Naruko said. "But did you _really_ have to break your finger like that? Blegh." She could still hear that sickening _snap_ in her mind, bouncing around from ear to ear.

"Sorry," Sakura said, smiling sweetly.

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "Naruko," he said. "Would you like to go next?"

"Sure!" Naruko said. She shook her head, to clear the queasiness away, before darting forward past Sakura and Sasuke and into the center of the clearing. "First, I can do this-!" she called. The blonde clasped her hands together in a seal. " _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

A moment later, five exact copies of her appeared at her sides - all sporting that same bright grin, orange and black jumpsuit, and shockingly blonde hair. They glanced at each other for a moment, before dispelling.

' _That… has some useful applications.'_ Sasuke thought, his ears turning a light pink.

"I can do this!" Naruko called. She harshly bit her thumb, drawing blood. Smearing it across the palm of her hand, she flashed through several seals, before slamming her hand into the ground. " _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_ A frog appeared in front of her.

Naruko gaped.

"Woah! You got a lot bigger, Gamakichi!" she exclaimed.

"Yo." the frog said. "And of course I got bigger! Pops says it's only a matter of time before I'm bigger than him!"

"Ha, as if!" Naruko retorted. "You're always going to be a little pipsqueak, Gamakichi, just admit it!"

"Hmph!" The frog folded his arms over his chest. "Whatever! What did you call me here for anyways?"

"It was just a demonstration!" she said.

"Alright. I've been demonstrated - now see ya."

Then, the frog disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruko coughed, waving away the smoke with a hand. "And, I can do this!" she said, a moment later after it had dissipated.

Another clone popped at her side, the original holding her hand out for it. The Kage Bunshin went to work, and soon a rather large ball of chakra was swirling in Naruko's hand, looking rather potent. She set off towards a randomly chosen tree, and drove the ball into the bark - carving a hole near two-thirds of the way through the trunk. " _Rasengan!_ "

Sakura frowned. "That's the Yondaime's jutsu, no?" she said, biting her lip.

"Mmm." Kakashi hummed. _'She's figuring it out sooner than I thought…"_ Kakashi mused. _'Then again, it doesn't take much. Considering how much she looks like sensei, and the fact that she used his jutsu… it won't be that long before the entire village knows.'_

"Oh! And I can do this!" Naruko announced. Once more a clone appeared at her side, using the same technique to form the ball - only this time, they kept going and going, until the _Rasengan_ was at least three times it's normal size. The shadow clone at her side, she once more charged at a tree - this time, completely tearing through the trunk and sending it tumbling to the ground.

Naruko sprinted away from the smoking wreckage of the tree, bits of leaves and a twig or two stuck in her hair. "I've been working on my wind element, but I haven't done much with it." she said. "That's about it - although I _can_ make a lot more _Kage Bunshin_ than the couple I showed off."

"Interesting." Kakashi said, nodding slightly. "Alright then. Sasuke, you're up."

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted rather tersely. He cast a glance at the two girls and his sensei, a blank look on his face - although his gaze remained on Naruko perhaps a split second longer than the others. "I think you know what the sharingan can do," he said simply. "Other than that, I have two elements that I can use."

His fingers a blur, he flashed through a series of hand seals.

" _Katon:_ _Great Fireball Technique!"_

There perhaps a millisecond of absolute silence. And then an _enormous_ ball of fire burst forth from his lips, as tall as the trees that surrounded them. It surged towards the woods, engulfing them in an instant. The fireball eventually petered out, although it managed to scorch at least a dozen before it faded, leaving them as mere husks of ash and burnt branches.

"And my second..." Sasuke continued. Once more, he flashed through a series of hand seals.

" _Chidori Senbon!"_

For a split second, a vaguely familiar flicker of a thousand birds chirping all at once filled the air.

Then, whatever chakra had accumulated in Sasuke's hand _separated_ into what looked like a hundred needles of light, before being propelled into the trees in front of them - scything through the bark, leaving smoking holes where they went through.

Once more, he turned back to them, wiping a bit of ash away from the corner of his mouth. "On top of that, I'm a swordsman." Sasuke drawled, a hand on the hilt of the blade slid into the scabbard strapped to his waist.

"Who taught you?" Naruko asked, her eyes wide with excitement, her cheeks flushed slightly.

"I taught myself." Sasuke said simply. "Will that do for a… 'demonstration', Kakashi-sensei?" he asked.

"That should be sufficient." Kakashi said, his lone eye curling upwards in a way that gave the others the impression that he was smiling beneath that mask of his. "Now, little Naruko here is still _technically_ a genin. So, unfortunately, we'll have to forgo any missions that could put her in danger." A pause, as growing looks of horror appeared on Sasuke and Sakura's faces, Naruko still blissfully unaware of what was to come. The two members of Team Seven thus far knew _exactly_ what was coming.

"You know… I hear that poor, poor Tora-chan has run away from home. How about we please the daimyo's wife, and go and find her?"

* * *

Naruko shivered, curled up in a ball on the floor.

"G-get it away from me…" she whispered. "Get that demon cat away…!" Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, her legs and arms sporting claw marks, her jumpsuit torn in several areas. Her blonde hair was in disarray, her skin coated in a thin sheen of sweat.

Sasuke stood over her, a bemused expression on his face as he held the captured Tora at arm's length. Several scratches ran along his hands and arms, although thankfully none were deep enough to be of any concern.

He clutched the cat close to his chest with one arm, the other reaching up to tap a button on his headset.

"This is…" He sighed. "This is 'Emo' reporting in. 'Ichiraku' and I have acquired the package." Needless to say, Kakashi had allowed Sakura and Naruko to pick out everyone's codenames. And… he was under direct orders from said jounin to answer to said codename… unless he wanted a particularly embarrassing moment for him to be spread around the village.

Okay, was it his fault? That client they had been escorting had been one of, if not _the_ most beautiful women he had ever seen, and he had fourteen years old for fuck's sake.

Sasuke shook his head, grumbling something incoherent under his breath.

" _This is Blossom!"_ Sakura called over the headset, her voice unnecessarily bright and cheery, making Sasuke scowl even further. _"Coming in on your position!"_

" _This is Pirate."_ Kakashi said, his voice cool. _"I'll be there in a moment."_

Soon, Kakashi and Sakura joined them, landing in the small clearing. The both of them looked no worse for wear - and was that a fresh coat of paint on Sakura's nails? Of course… he and Naruko just _had_ to get the short end of the stick on this D rank mission.

"Let's get this fucking cat back to the daimyo's wife." Sasuke grumbled, his voice dark. "Anyone else want to take her?"

A pause.

Sasuke glanced around, realizing that the other three of his 'teammates' had mysterious up and vanished. How… _convenient._

"Assholes," he murmured. "Alright you little bastard," he said, tucking the cat beneath his arm. "Let's go."

Tora let out a low growl in response.

* * *

All in all, Naruko could admit that it had been a rather fun day. The scratches and claw marks had faded away within a few minutes, and other than the 'Tora' incident, everything else had been awesome.

Sasuke and Sakura had been incredibly welcoming, Sakura giving her advice on some holes in her defense and offensive, while Sasuke's mere presence seemed to give Naruko the confidence to push harder and harder, to train more.

It was strange, how _intense_ her lover (She flushed at the thought.) was at everything he did. He was borderline apathetic at all times, his face blank, his body expressions stiff. And yet, whenever he sparred, whenever he fought, whenever he trained, he did it with so much passion, such zeal that Naruko felt as if she could watch him day in and day out and never grow bored. And… that passion always was doubled, or even tripled in the bedroom - a fact she knew first hand.

She grinned as she strolled along the road - the sun sinking low on the horizon, the sky a mixture of pink and blue and black and just looking absolutely beautiful overall.

Naruko ducked into a specific store, her smile only widening. "Oi, ji-chan!" she called. "Ayame-chan! Can I get three cups of miso ramen, to go?"

Teuchi beamed. "Coming right up!"

Soon, Naruko was strolling out of Ichiraku's, three cups of ramen clutched to her chest. She took a moment to seal them away into a storage scroll - so as to, a. Not have to carry them around, and b. Keep them nice and warm.

Ichiraku's was at least twenty minutes away from Sasuke's apartment, although she cut that time in half by taking to the rooftops. The wind flowed through her hair, her blue eyes taking in the sight of the village sprawled out beneath her - various lights appearing in the windows of homes and stores, and crowds of people packing the streets shoulder to shoulder.

She dropped to ground level, pushing her way into the lobby of the apartment complex. The elevator was clear, but she took the stairs, climbing up flight after flight until she was on Sasuke's floor.

Naruko stilled in front of his door.

' _I'm going through with this.'_ she decided, her face serious.

She reached forward, and knocked.

The sound of footsteps. And then, the door swung open, revealing Sasuke.

"Naruko?" he said. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

"I… have something to tell you." she murmured, her gaze downcast.

Sasuke frowned, his eyes narrowed. "What… what is it?" he cautiously asked.

Her blue eyes flickered up, to meet his black ones. "Sasuke…" Naruko said, her voice serious.

"... I'm pregnant."

There was a moment of _silence_. Complete, and total silence, the kind that sent shivers down most people's spines. Sasuke stared at her in abject shock.

"W-what?" he stuttered, taking a step back as if he'd been stabbed. "No…!" She- no… no, she couldn't be pregnant. He was only seventeen, he couldn't be a father! This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening-

Suddenly, an uproarious laughter reached his ears.

"Ahahaha!" Naruko said, doubling over, her cheeks flushed. "Oh… oh kami, you should have seen the look on your face, Sasuke…!"

"What…?" he said.

"I was just messing with you, dork." she said, poking him playfully in the stomach. "Every kunoichi in Konoha is mandated to take birth control, 'case they get kidnapped or something like that." She grinned. "So… I hope you didn't start naming any of our kids yet, Sas~uke…"

He stared at her, his skin pale, Sasuke looking disturbingly like a corpse, or a vampire, or something like that. Naruko noted dimly that he looked rather cute when he was horrified - a fact she would certainly file away for later use.

"You're… insane…" Sasuke mumbled.

"I know." Naruko said, flashing him a grin. She pulled a storage scroll out from her pouch - and in an instant, three cups of Ichiraku's ramen were clutched in her hands. "Mind if I come in?"

He was still for a moment, before stepping to the side. Naruko walked past him and into the house, Sasuke closing the door behind her.

"What are you… doing here?" Sasuke asked.

"My tou-san and my kaa-san are out on a date." Naruko said. "You want to… I dunno, watch a movie or something? I've got food!" she said, brandishing the ramen.

Sasuke sighed. Well, there was no getting rid of her now… and he wasn't one to turn down free food. "Sure." he said after a moment.

The two strolled over to the couch, planting themselves down side by side. Naruko swiped the remote off of the coffee table, and quickly put on a movie - some sort of adventure film, with a lot of explosions and such, the kind of thing Sasuke would expect to keep her captivated.

His heart was still pumping. Because seriously, for a moment there, he had _actually_ thought she was pregnant. Fuck, this girl was crazy - but, he couldn't keep himself away for some reason. He wasn't a fool, he could tell when he was actually attracted to a girl instead of just her body… but kami, why hadn't his cock picked a girl that wasn't going to give him a heart-attack every other week?

She readily handed him one of the ramen cups, which he took. Pulling open the top, he glanced down - blinking as steam poured out. With a tug, he took the chopsticks off of the side, using his teeth to rip open the plastic wrapping they were in. He dug into the food. While, he had never been the biggest fan of ramen, food was food, and it wasn't as if it was terrible or anything like that.

"Hmm." Sasuke grunted. "What's that tattoo on your neck?" he asked.

"Oh, this?" Naruko said. "It's my tou-san's _Hirashin_ seal. It lets him come to me whenever he needs to."

"Ah." he said. "So…" Great. He had never been all that good with small talk. "Did you… erm… like training with Sakura, Kakashi-sensei and I today?"

"It was fun!" Naruko chirped. "Sakura-chan's cool, and Kakashi-nii is a really good teacher, isn't he? Plus seeing the sharingan in action was totally sweet." She and Sasuke had sparred, and she swore, despite the Kyuubi's healing factor that she could still _feel_ the bruise his kick had left on her stomach. "Are you and Sakura-chan like… I dunno… going out or something?"

"Of course not." Sasuke said. "She had a crush on me for the longest time - but a year or so ago, I guess she just got over with it." A pause. "I mean… the two of us did go on a date once…"

Naruko stilled, almost choking on the ramen she had been chewing. "What?" she said.

"We were twelve." Sasuke clarified. "And I only agreed to go on it so she would stop begging me."

"Alright then." Naruko said, slurping up the rest of her first cup of ramen, and starting on the next. "Sasuke," she said, through a mouthful of Ichiraku's. "Can I ask you a question?" Her voice was muffled, but he could tell what she was saying.

"Sure." he said.

She swallowed, letting out a satisfied gasp. "I wanted to ask…" Naruko paused, glancing away from him. "What… what are we?"

There was a sinking feeling in his chest. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"I mean, are we like… you know… boyfriend and girlfriend?" Her face was slightly red, but she found the strength to look him dead in the eye. "'Cuz, I've… never had a boyfriend before."

Sasuke smiled wryly. "I've never had a girlfriend before." he admitted.

"Really?" Naruko blurted. "But - I thought you said you went out on a date with Sakura-chan…!"

"A date." Sasuke said. "We went out to some restaurant, had dinner, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and then we went our separate ways." he said. "Nothing else happened - I don't think that qualifies as a relationship."

"You've got a point," Naruko said. "But… you didn't answer my question." she pointed out.

Sasuke sighed. "I…" He drifted off. "I… wouldn't be opposed to it, I guess." Sasuke said. "I'm not really the romantic type… and I'm not exactly sociable either. But, if you want me to be your boyfriend, I guess I could at least try letting you be my girlfriend."

Naruko squealed. She closed the distance between them on the couch, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Sweet!" she said. "Hmm… I think you're supposed to have nicknames for your boyfriend…" she murmured, her voice husky. "What do you think, _babe_?"

He rolled his eyes. "I think I'll stick to Naruko."

"Naruko- _chan_?" she suggested.

" _Naruko._ "

"Don't be like that, 'suke." she said, poking him in the chest. "Come on…! Use that brain of yours, think of a nickname." She advanced on him, a devious twinkle in her eyes. "Come on…!" Naruko said, grabbing the ramen out of his hands and putting it onto the coffee table.

"Naruko…!" he said, his voice strained. "I swear, I'll-"

She silenced his words with a kiss.

Things inside of Sasuke's apartment began to get rather… heated.

And yet, unbeknownst to both of them, a figure was perched outside the open window, peering into the apartment from the safety of a tree branch.

A moment passed, and then he disappeared, fading away as if he had never been there at all.

* * *

 **A precursor to dangers far down the road.**

 **Here's a bit of a warning - this story _will_ take a bit of a dark turn from the relative happiness it's been so far. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

 **Be sure to leave a review if you liked the story. And don't forget to follow and favorite the story as well, if you haven't already.**

 **Thanks for reading. And as always, have an _amazing_ day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I got nine reviews on the last chapter. Well, technically eight since someone had to post a review under chapter two to ask a question, but whatever.**

 **Lots of questions about the dark figure outside of the window.**

 **...**

 **Review replies!**

 **StopTeasing: I'm glad!**

 **FlammableBear: That's a question that will be answered eventually.**

 **VongolaDecima: Rabid fangirl Sakura is such a disgusting trope that I can hardly read stories that still use it. In this story, Sasuke and Sakura have been friends for _six_ years. I think that Sakura would have gotten over her crush on him by then, especially if he never returned her feelings.**

 **Rain-XIX: Yup, I am that same guy. :)**

 **LazyRebel: I was going to answer this question in the chapter itself, but I didn't find the time. So, I'll answer it for you right now. It's pretty simple - there was an odd number of people in Sasuke and Sakura's graduating class. So they ended up as a duo rather than a trio.**

 **AlyssaOtaku69: Let's just say it wasn't Minato - because if it had been, this would be the last chapter of the story for... how should I get this... one of the protagonist's brutal and violent deaths. It's not hard to figure out _which_ protagonist Minato would have gone after, lol.**

 **Alright. This chapter is longer than the previous ones have been, but not by a crazy amount. Still, I hope you guys enjoy! If you like it, don't ever forget to leave a favorite and a follow if you haven't already, and don't forget to leave a review! I read each and every one, and try to reply to them if I can.**

 **Without further ado...**

 **... enjoy!**

* * *

 **!Warning! - This entire first scene is essentially one big lime/lemon mosh pit. If you are not comfortable with reading either of those, I will leave a TL;DR at the end of the scene to summarize what happened. You have been warned.**

Naruko groaned, a shudder running up her spine, as something unmistakably warm brushed against her leg.

"Sasuke…?" she murmured, cracking open an eye - discovering that her dark haired lover had seemingly disappeared from his spot at her side. There was, however, a form moving beneath the sheets - and something was _definitely_ spreading her thighs apart. She smiled - thanking kami that she had taken a shower after their raucous sex session the previous night, knowing that Sasuke wouldn't have been willing to give her a morning treat like this otherwise… especially considering he came deep inside of her with obvious gusto.

Apparently, that little pregnancy 'scare' hadn't fazed him in the slightest, she thought with a smirk.

"Oh…" she let out a soft moan, as she felt his tongue tease her folds. "Careful," she mumbled. "You don't- argh… want to wake up the neighbors, do you?"

Sasuke let out a laugh. "Are you kidding me?" he said, his voice slightly muffled considering he was half-hidden underneath the sheets. "Considering the way I made you scream last night… if they could hear us through the walls, they would have come over a _long_ time ago."

Naruko flushed. "Oh, be quiet you." she said, reaching a hand beneath the blanket and swatting him. "I did _not_ scream that much."

Sasuke chuckled darkly. "Really?" he said. "Your nose is growing," he murmured dimly.

She swatted him again. "Whatever!" Naruko huffed. "Are you going to eat me out or what?"

"Just taking my time," Sasuke murmured, slipping a finger into her folds, working it around a bit. "I want to enjoy this."

Naruko let out a mewl. "That clone's not going to last forever, you know…" she said. After things had gotten… erm… 'steamy' the previous night, she had decided to forgo going back home - instead, choosing to send a Kage Bunshin to take her place. And while last night had been fun, she definitely didn't want her kaa-san and tou-san to discover that she'd been out all night.

Sasuke chose not to respond. Instead, he withdrew his finger from her rapidly moistening slit, and dipped his head down low - giving it a good lap. "Might want to cut back on the ramen," he grumbled. "Getting a little bitter down there."

For the third time that morning, she swatted him on the ear. "Be quiet, jerk!" she said, her cheeks heating up ever so slightly.

Again, he chose not to retort - instead, leaning down once more. This time, his tongue slipped inside of her folds, Naruko letting out a soft moan at the feel of his warm appendage entering her burning snatch.

One of her hands reached down, slipping into his raven spikes and forcing his head even _deeper_ into her thighs. His tongue felt so good - Sasuke seemingly knowing exactly what buttons to press inside of her. He played her like a well tuned instrument, his skilled mouth turning her into what was essentially a pile of goo on the bed.

A coil wound tighter and tighter in a place just below her navel. As he worked her over, as minutes passed by with her groans growing more hoarse with every lap of his tongue against her folds, it just got closer and closer to the breaking point, until…

" _Oh…_ " Naruko let out a guttural moan, as she _came_ \- her juices sloshing down her canal like a waterfall, Sasuke lapping them up, not letting up for even an instant. She shivered and shook, fingers clutching at the sides of the bed.

A few moments later, and she finally settled down - her chest heaving, her skin coated with a thin sheen of sweat. She blew a lock of sweat soaked blonde hair out of her eyes, twitching every now and then, her snatch feeling slightly swollen.

Sasuke crawled up to her side, a satisfied smirk curling his lips.

"Hmm," he hummed.

Naruko blinked. "What… what is it?" she asked, through breathless pants.

"Ah, it's nothing." Sasuke said. "I'm just wondering - if you didn't scream _that_ much, why is that I can't hear out of my right ear?" he said, his voice teasing.

Naruko rolled her eyes. And for the fourth time that morning - a record that was likely to be broken in the near future if Sasuke kept this up - she swatted him on the ear.

"Did you hear that?" she grumbled.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

And then, he snaked a hand beneath the covers, giving one of her rosy nipples a good pinch.

"Ow!" she said. "What was that for?"

Sasuke chuckled. "Just a little payback..." he murmured, leaning down - slowly suckling at the tanned skin of her neck. "... _girlfriend_."

Naruko grinned. "Say that again." she murmured huskily, arching her neck. "Same tone, same everything."

He smirked. " _Girlfriend."_ he repeated, saying it nice and slow, sounding out the syllables.

The blonde shivered. "Now, _that's_ something I could get used to." she murmured. In a flash, she had flattened him onto his back - Naruko swiftly straddling his hips, her arms holding his down. Slowly, she leaned down, pressing her lips to his.

The two kissed for a long minute, before resurfacing for air.

Naruko sighed. "Sorry for being a bit of a tease," she murmured, having been shaken from her stupor of lust by the feeling of his member poking against her thigh. "But I _really_ should get home…"

"Alright." Sasuke said.

She eased herself off of him, climbing out from beneath the sheets and off of the bed. Sasuke remained on the mattress - simply watching her as she dressed, pulling on underwear and slipping into her crumpled and slightly wrinkled clothes from the previous night.

"See you later, Sasuke." Naruko said, coming up to the bed, and giving him a peck on the lips. She smirked. "See you later, little Sasuke." she said, giving his still erect member a peck as well - the stiff pole poking up through the sheets eagerly.

"Hurry up and get out of her," Sasuke grumbled. "You loiter in my apartment any longer, and I'm not responsible for what I or…" He chuckled. "'little Sasuke' might do."

"Mmm... " Naruko said. "Don't tempt me." Once again, she pecked him on the lips, unable to help herself. "Alright, now I'm _really_ leaving. Bye!"

"Bye."

He watched as she departed, slipping out of the bedroom door. A moment later, and he heard the front door open and close.

Sasuke sighed, sitting up in the bed.

It was a strange thought.

 _He_ had a girlfriend. Uchiha Sasuke was going out with Uzumaki Naruko. It was surreal. Seriously. He had never even thought about actually dating someone - having been content with his previous life of one night stands, drinking, and concealing those two facts from his overprotective family.

Sasuke just _really_ hoped she didn't want to… go out on dates or something. Where would she even want to go? A carnival? A restaurant? Kakashi had taken them to a ramen stand the previous day when she had been training with them, and he had _seen_ , first hand, how many bowls of ramen she could devour. He didn't even want to imagine how much his wallet would suffer if he took her out to a high end restaurant…

Hmm. It would be interesting to see her wearing a dress. Naruko was some kind of awful morphing of tomboy and girl - and to actually see his girlfriend ( _Wow_ , that did sound nice.) wearing a dress? It would probably be a sight to remember.

Whatever. What-the-fuck-ever. Now, he had to take a cold shower for fuck's sake, considering the feeling of Naruko's naked body pressed against his, and images of her clad in a rather provocative dress had begun to fill his mind. Needless to say 'little Sasuke' wasn't looking all that little anymore.

He climbed out of bed, and disappeared into the bathroom - closing the door behind him with a _snap_.

 **TL;DR - Naruko spent the night at Sasuke's place. She sent a shadow clone back to her house to take her place. They tease each other for a bit, but Naruko eventually says that she has to go before the clone's cover can be blown. They say goodbye, and Naruko leaves. Sasuke muses about how crazy it is that _he_ , Uchiha Sasuke, has a girlfriend.** **He gets up, and goes and takes a shower.**

* * *

A vein throbbed on Sasuke's forehead. His eye twitched, the young Uchiha forced to inhale deeply through his nose, and to exhale softly through his mouth, as he quite literally forced himself not to just _snap_ , and ram a blade through his cousin's heart.

"What… do you two think you're doing…?" he murmured after a long while, his voice low, his brow knitted, her eyes narrowed and his face extraordinarily dark.

Shisui grinned. "Well… we're gonna plan Itachi's surprise party!" he said, his voice unnaturally high pitched and annoying. A helium balloon was clutched in his hand. "And… I'll be honest with you, we needed a place to put all this stuff!" He gestured around himself, at the great piles of deflated balloons, the party hats, plastic cups and plates, and a variety of other things that you would need for a party.

' _Deep breaths,'_ Sasuke thought. _'Deep breaths.'_ He was not going to become a nuke nin today. He was _not_ going to commit murder - he had to think of how long it would take to get the blood out of his carpet, out of the couch cushions. _'Calm down, Sasuke.'_ he told himself.

He had showered, gotten dressed, and had gone out for a long day of training with Kakashi and Sakura. And _this_ was what he had returned home to.

"Okay…" Sasuke said. "So… you fucking _break into my apartment_ , and put all of this shit in my living room?" he snapped.

Izumi grinned nervously. "Uh… well, it was Shisui's idea!" she said, pointing at the black haired Uchiha in front of him.

"Traitor!" Shisui said, his eyes narrowing.

Uchiha Izumi was, as of about four months ago, Itachi's fiancé. Despite her clan name, she honestly didn't have the 'Uchiha' look. Her hair was a soft chestnut brown, instead of black. Her eyes were a warm black, rather than the cold inky depths most members of her clan sported. Her facial features were abnormally soft, giving her an appearance of a teenager despite the fact that she was nearly twenty three.

The two were an odd couple. Where Itachi was stoic, Izumi wore her heart on her sleeve. Where Itachi was a battle hardened warrior, not unused to killing despite his personal beliefs, Izumi made no secret her distaste for the act of taking another person's life.

Sasuke really had no strong feelings towards her either way. If she made his brother happy, that was good enough for him he supposed.

He sighed. Sasuke gently rubbed his brow, realizing that he was fighting a losing battle in trying to get his idiotic cousin to realize what exactly he had done wrong.

"It's going to be at kaa-san and tou-san's house, right?" Sasuke said, after a minute of silence.

Izumi and Shisui grinned at each other. "Yup!" Shisui said. "I've got Mikoto-basan and Fugaku-jisan in on it, but Itachi's over there so much that we can't risk putting all of this stuff in their house." he said.

Sasuke sighed once more. "There's just one flaw in your plan," he said.

"And that would be…?" Izumi asked.

The young Uchiha looked at his two cousins as if they were complete and utter idiots - which they quite honestly were. "Itachi is _Itachi_." Sasuke said. "Do you morons really think he isn't going to realize that you're throwing him a surprise party?"

"Hey!" Izumi said. "There's no need for insults, Sasuke-kun. And besides, whether he knows it's coming or not, Itachi _deserves_ a good birthday. Remember last year?"

Sasuke _did_ remember last year. Details weren't all that important, but, let's just say it involved three things - a bottle of some of the strongest sake in Konoha, a stripper from the red light district courtesy of Kakashi, and a really, _really_ pissed off Uchiha Mikoto.

…

...

… yeah.

"He still has nightmares about that," Izumi murmured. "Your mom is _really_ scary." she said to Sasuke.

"Tell me about it." Sasuke grumbled. "Whatever. So, seems like you two already have most of the stuff we'll need." He said, picking up and examining a green party hat. "What else is there?"

"Hmm…" Shisui hummed, a hand on his chin. "Let's think. Uh… we still need drinks, we need to send out the invites, oh, and we might as well go ahead and order the stripper- kidding." he said, to Izumi's fierce glare. "What else?" He paused for a moment. "Ah, right! We need another bag of plastic cutlery."

"Seems easy enough." Sasuke said. Itachi's birthday was a scant two days from now - so getting all of that stuff wasn't going to be all that difficult. "Who's getting what?"

"I'll get the drinks." Izumi said. "I don't trust Shisui enough, and you've got bigger things to worry about, Sasuke-kun."

He blinked. "Like what?" Sasuke asked.

"I was going to tell him later…" Shisui whined.

"Shut up, you big pansy." Izumi said. " _You're_ the one in charge of making sure Itachi shows up to this party, Sasuke-kun." she said, blowing a curl of brown hair out of her eye.

Oh shit.

A little context. Last year's birthday party hadn't just been a fiasco - it had scarred Itachi… to the point where he had sworn vehemently that he would never, _ever_ , celebrate another one of his birthdays.

Whether he was Itachi's precious 'foolish' little brother or not, Sasuke could tell that he had gotten the short end of the stick on this particular arrangement.

* * *

Naruko frowned, as she peeked out from behind the doorway - one of her blue eyes staring intently at the form of her mother, who was gently stirring a pot of ramen whilst humming a song beneath her breath.

Something… was wrong.

A quick glance at the clock told her that it was half past noon.

She had arrived home about two hours ago. Considering she typically woke up at around eleven on a good day, that meant she had to feign sleep for about half an hour after she had switched with her clone - and then begin her 'daily' routine.

But… something had changed.

An hour had passed.

And not once, had her mother yelled at her. Nothing. Not a single, _"No leaving your dirty laundry around the house!"_ or _"Come here and take out the trash!"_ Not a word. Not a zip. She had just been cooking, and cleaning, and not making her daughter do any chores at all.

Naruko cowered. What had she done this time? Had her kaa-san realized where she had been all night? Or… worst of all, had something else happened, to cause her to put on this terrifying act? Had Ichiraku's closed down? Had Naruko finally left one too many pairs of dirty shorts on the bathroom floor? _Something_ just had to be up.

' _Okay, think about this rationally.'_ Naruko mused to herself. _'She doesn't even know you're up yet - I could probably just sneak upstairs, and hide out up there until she cools down.'_

Nodding resolutely to herself, she took a step back.

And as if the Hokages themself had forsaken her, the worst possible thing that could have happened in that situation occurred. The hardwood floors of her home were _very_ well polished, and, as she skidded her foot across them - a ear piercing _squeak_ tore through the room.

Naruko cringed.

In an instant, Kushina wheeled around, fixing that piercing violet gaze onto her only daughter. Naruko shrunk, her tanned skin paling. Kushina let the wooden spoon clatter onto the countertop, and then…

… she smiled.

"Naruko…!" Kushina called, her voice soft and sweet, as soothing as a bubble bath after a long day of training. "It's about time you finally crawled your way out of bed!" She positively beamed, her pearly white teeth nearly blinding Naruko.

"K-Kaa-san?" Naruko stuttered.

"Oh… you're looking a little pale, Naruko." Kushina mused. She glided across the kitchen towards her, gently cupping one of her daughter's cheeks. "That's strange. Are you feeling a little under the weather? Kyuubi, are you making my little Naruko-chan sick?"

"Are… you…" A pause. "Is… is everything alright?" Naruko asked, her bright blue eyes practically the size of dinner plates as she stared at her mother.

Kushina's grin widened. "Oh… you know how long it's been since your father and I have gone out on a date." she said. "We had a wonderful… _wonderful_ night." There was a glimmer in her violet eyes, one that seemed familiar to Naruko.

Naruko blanched. _'Oh…'_ she thought.

"Blegh." the blonde said, sticking out her tongue. "I don't need to know when you and tou-san do… t-that…!" she spat out.

Kushina laughed. "Aww… don't be so melodramatic, Naruko." she said, a hand on her hip. "It's a natural thing that _everybody_ does. You'll understand someday, I'm sure."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruko grumbled. Her mood was improving, now that she knew that her mother _wasn't_ secretly planning her death. "What kind of ramen are we having today?" she asked.

"Miso, your favorite…!" Kushina cooed.

"Yay!" Naruko cheered. "Is it almost done?"

Kushina grinned. "Just a few more minutes," the red headed kunoichi said.

"Awesome," Naruko said. She slid into a seat at the dinner table, rubbing her hands together eagerly. "Tou-san already at work?" she asked.

"He had to go in early to make up for yesterday." Kushina said. She blew a lock of crimson hair out of her eye as she waited for the ramen to cook fully, smoothing out the apron draped over her dress. "How was home when we were out?" Kushina asked.

"It was fine," Naruko said neutrally. "Read some books. Went out and trained for a bit. Nothing all that interesting."

Kushina raised an eyebrow. " _You_ read some books?" she asked, her voice disbelieving.

"Hey!" Naruko said. "I can read, kaa-san!" She said, folding her arms over her chest. "And besides, they were jutsu books." A pause. "I- I'm still trying to develop my wind element, after all."

"Hmm." Kushina hummed, She turned around, putting her hands on her hips. "Just what were you up to last night, Naruko…?" she asked, her violet eyes burrowing into Naruko's bright, blue ones.

Naruko grimaced. "Fine. You got me." The blonde sighed. "I went to Ichiraku's, and hung out there for a while." she said.

Kushina rolled her eyes. " _That's_ what you were afraid of?" the redhead said. "As long as you locked the house up, you can go out. You're eighteen, Naruko, but I'd at least like you to be honest with me." She snickered. "Reading books…" she said, a smirk on her face.

"Whatever," Naruko said, huffing.

As soon as Kushina slid a bowl full of steaming miso ramen in front of Naruko, she dug in - a bright grin on her face, and a pair of chopsticks in her hand.

' _Speaking of Ichiraku's..'_ Kushina thought. _'I haven't been there in a while.'_ Maybe she should go there later - she was sure Teuchi was missing one of his favorite (and most lucrative) customers, and she was sure that Ayame-chan had some gossip that she'd loved to hear.

* * *

"Yeah… so, Shisui and Izumi are going to throw you a surprise party.

Itachi stilled. "..."

Sasuke sighed. "Itachi," the younger of the two brothers said. "You're going."

"... no."

Another sigh. "Do I have to inform kaa-san about how you and Izumi decided _not_ to save yourselves until marr-"

Itachi stood up suddenly, his dark eyes staring down at Sasuke.

"You wouldn't," he growled.

Sasuke climbed to his feet as well. They were about the same height now, although Sasuke was about an inch taller than Itachi.

"You're not getting out of this, Itachi. I _will_ sign your death warrant if I have to." Sasuke said, his voice dripping with promise.

Unlike his cousin, and his sister-to-be/other cousin, Sasuke had a little more… tact. Rather than, you know, breaking into Itachi's house, he had knocked on the door. Itachi had put on a pot of tea, and now the two sat - well, stood now - on opposite sides of the dining room table.

Itachi grit his teeth. "I-" He paused. "You… you'd do that to your own brother…?"

Sasuke felt a faint smirk curl his lips involuntarily. "Rest assured, if you still want to skip your birthday part, I'll make sure that I leave some flowers on your grave."

The two brothers continued to stare each other down, until finally, Itachi relinquished. He dropped back down into his seat, cradling his head in his palms. "Argh…" Itachi groaned. "I _knew_ that I should have gotten rid of that spare key beneath the mat."

Sasuke had decided to drop in on his older brother about a year prior, and, well he hadn't gotten an answer when he had knocked on the door. One spare key slipped into the lock, and he was allowed access - and from inside of the apartment, he could distinctly hear the moans and grunts emanating from the bedroom. He had put two and two together, and in the end, Sasuke had obtained the perfect blackmail material.

Okay, he could admit he was being a little ( _a lot_ ) hypocritical, considering Itachi had slept with one woman whom he was going to marry regardless, and Sasuke had slept with at least a dozen in a series of one night stands before his meeting Naruko. But, firstly, Itachi had _no_ knowledge of that, and Sasuke would like to keep it that way. And secondly, nobody had _ever_ suggested that an Uchiha played fair.

"Chin up," Sasuke said, making his way around the table and clapping Itachi on the shoulder. "If it gets as bad as last year, I'll put an end to it. Alright?"

"Alright…" Itachi murmured. He groaned. "You mind grabbing that bottle of sake from the cabinet?" he mumbled. "And a shot glass."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said, smirking.

"Grab yourself one too." Itachi grumbled. "And never, _ever_ tell kaa-san that I drink."

He let out a chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind," Sasuke said, as he grabbed the sake and the shot glasses - plunking them down on the table. He drew up a chair closer to Itachi. "I didn't think you were one to keep alcohol in your apartment," Sasuke commented, as he filled the small glasses nearly to the brim with the warm, brown liquid.

"Izumi says it's for 'special occasions'." Itachi said. He downed it all in one go - letting out a refreshed sigh. "I think this occasion is as good as any." He glanced at Sasuke, his eyes half lidded. "You weren't really going to tell kaa-san about me and Izumi doing... that, were you?" he asked.

"Probably not." Sasuke admitted. "But… seriously. If it gets out of hand, I'll drag you out of there myself. Alright?"

Itachi nodded. "Hey… Sasuke?" he said, after a moment.

"What's up?" Sasuke said.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, his face darkening ever so slightly. "Try to blackmail me again, and I'll talk to Hokage-sama about putting you on _permeant_ Tora watch." he said, his voice low.

Sasuke blanched. Itachi was very influential in Konoha, and considering who the Hokage was… he wouldn't be surprised if the Yondaime would allow Itachi's threat to become reality just for a good laugh.

"Alright." Sasuke said.

* * *

Kushina hummed as she strolled down the street, a bright grin on her face. Even at the age of forty two, she was a beauty indeed - long, crimson hair that fell to her mid-back, and curves that any woman would kill for. Despite that, everyone that knew her would say that it wasn't her body that attracted people's attentions, but rather her boisterous personality.

She was bouncy and bubbly, retaining an energy that most would lose in their teens. She smiled at everyone she walked past, greeting most of them by name and making sure to slip a bill or two into the collecting hats of some of Konoha's homeless. She was a beloved figure in Konoha, second perhaps to the Yondaime himself.

There were _dozens_ of ramen shops within the village that would likely offer her a dozen bowls for free. But, there was one that she always went to, one that held a special place in her heart. She remembered coming here when Ichiraku Kenji, Teuchi's father, had still been alive and running the shop. She remembered giving congratulations to Teuchi when his daughter, Ayame, had been born.

And she had made sure to imprint that kind of loyalty in her daughter, Naruko. Even though she was supposed to be sheltered from the village, Kushina made use of the henge to sneak inside of the shop with her also disguised daughter, and thoroughly addict her blonde angel to the heavenly food that was Ichiraku's.

Today, business was rather slow for them. As she ducked into the stall, she counted only a single customer sitting at the bar.

"Kushina-san!" Ayame said, a grin spreading across the brown haired girl's face. "What can I get you today?"

"A miso will do, Ayame-chan." Kushina giggled. "If you have any left that is. I bet Naruko gobbled it all up when she was here last night." the redhead said, smiling brightly.

Ayame frowned. "What do you mean…?" she asked. "Naruko-san wasn't in here yesterday."

"She… wasn't?" Kushina said, blinking.

Ayame shook her head. "If she was, I don't remember her coming in." she said. "And I worked a double shift yesterday." A pause. "Oh, wait! She came in for a bit, but it was for takeout. She looked like she had somewhere to be, if that helps any, but I don't think she said _where_ she was going."

As Ayame turned and disappeared into the back, to whip together the ramen that had sated a thousand stomach cravings, Kushina's head was spinning.

Naruko had come to Ichiraku's, but it had been for take out. She hadn't gone home - as much as she detested it, her daughter was a slob, and there surely would have been empty ramen cups scattered about the living room. And... if she didn't go straight home with the take out, then, that begged the question…

… where _did_ she go?

* * *

A mere blur shot towards her face - and with hardly a nanosecond before it would have connected, Naruko managed to catch the kick that would have likely dislocated her jaw and knocked out a couple of teeth.

Sasuke smirked.

And then, he leapt off of the ground with his other foot, spinning in midair and catching her around the midsection - sending both her and him tumbling to the ground. As quick as a flash, he was back on his feet, as was she.

This time, Naruko took the initiative, fainting with her right hand only to send a crushing haymaker towards his stomach with her left. He threw himself to the side just in time, her punch so powerful that he could almost feel the shockwave from where it would have hit him.

He struck out, grasping her leg tightly. With ease, he lifted her up - intent on sending her sailing into the trees that surrounded the clearing where they were fighting. However, she reached an arm down, grasping tightly to his wrist and refusing to relinquish her grip even as he began to spin, and spin.

After a moment, she let go - and instead of going into the trees, she timed it so that she could land gracefully about five meters away.

Naruko flashed him a grin. A clone appeared at her side, and before he could react, a ball of chakra was spinning in her hand - the Rasengan if he remembered correctly. He stood still, his feet perched, his eyes narrowed.

The Kage Bunshin at her side didn't dispel, as he expected it to. Instead, it grasped the original Naruko tightly by the arm - and spun it. Once, twice, three times, building up momentum - until, the clone _propelled_ Naruko at him.

It was a low powered Rasengan, of course. She wasn't actually going to hurt him - if it made contact, the most it would do was give him a nice bruise on his chest. But he didn't know that.

As she slammed into him, she grinned in triumph - before frowning, as Sasuke's _disappeared_ , a log replacing where he had been a moment before. Clearly, he had set up a substitution in the woods, as he leapt out of the forest a moment later.

The Rasengan still clutched in her hand, she charged at him once more, her grin feral and her eyes fiery.

A familiar sound filled her ears, of a thousand birds chirping at once. Blue lightning encased Sasuke's hand, and with the sharingan alight in his gaze, he charged at her as well.

His Chidori was low powered as well, at the most giving her a nice shock, and at the very worst giving her a small burn. But… again, she didn't know that.

Time seemed to slow, the eternity before their collision stretching on forever. Red eyes met blue, both of their teeth gritted, his lightning infused hand mere inches away from the swirling ball of chakra.

And then, they connected.

" _Rasengan!"_

" _Chidori!"_

Contrary to the moment just before their clash, the actual collision lasted a split second. One second, they were both trying with all of their might to break through the other's jutsu - the next, both of them were sent flying back, as a shockwave of static electricity and chakra burst from where their hands had met.

Considering the low power of their techniques, they didn't go very far - both of them landing on their feet a few meters away, panting and heaving, their bodies sticky with sweat and grime.

"Draw?" Naruko said.

"Draw." Sasuke replied.

They walked over to each other, before collapsing onto the ground. Naruko was ready to go a few moments later, but Sasuke took a little longer to recover.

He brushed a lock of sweat soaked hair out of his eyes. "Not bad," Sasuke murmured.

"You weren't so bad yourself,' Naruko said, grinning. "Where did you get Kakashi-nii's technique from?"

"I'm his student." Sasuke said.

"Mmm… now that I think about it, that should have been obvious." Naruko admitted, tilting her head thoughtfully. She looked at him, pursing her lips together. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sasuke grumbled. "I'm just _really_ looking forward to shepherding Itachi tonight at his birthday party." he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm going to just _love_ watching him flinch at every girl there who isn't kaa-san or Izumi." A pause. "Scratch that, just Izumi." Sasuke added.

Naruko chuckled. "I kind of wish I could come and help you with that," she admitted. But, she couldn't. Naruko couldn't even fathom that would happen if they went public with their relationship… although she figured that it would involve Naruko's permanent captivity in her room, and Sasuke's brutal and painful death at her father's and mother's combined hands. And that was without even mentioning Sasuke's family.

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something - but something stopped him.

There was a small poof. A toad, so small that Naruko could have fit it in the palm her hand, appeared in front of them.

"Naruko-chan!" it said. "Minato-chan said that he wants you to be home by nine." Without another word, it disappeared, in the same puff of smoke in which it had appeared.

Sasuke chuckled.

"What?" Naruko said.

"It's nothing." Sasuke said, smirking.

She poked him in the cheek. "Spill it, mister!" Naruko insisted.

"Alright…" Sasuke said, chuckling once more. "I just think it's kind of amusing. The legendary Yondaime, the man who took down eight thousand Iwa nin in a single day, and his summon is _toads_."

Naruko frowned. "What do you mean by that?" she said. "Toads are awesome!"

"I'd have expected something a little more fearsome." Sasuke said. "Like a bear. Things like that."

"Please…!" Naruko said. "Don't act all high and mighty." she said. "What can _you_ summon?" she asked.

"I don't have a summon." Sasuke said.

"Why not?" Naruko asked.

He shrugged. "I never it gave it much thought," Sasuke admitted.

"Hmm…" Naruko hummed. "Why don't you give it a shot? I mean, maybe your summon could be something really cool, like a hawk, or a tiger!" She snickered. "Or maybe it'll be a rabbit or something like that." She grinned. "The jutsu is easy, Sasuke. It's-"

"I know what it is." Sasuke said. "I copied it with the sharingan when you were doing your _demonstration_." he said.

"Alright!" Naruko chirped, clapping him on the shoulder. "Do it then, come on! Rabbit or tiger, let's see!"

Sasuke sighed. Gently, he climbed to his feet, walking a few meters to give himself some distance, before turning back towards Naruko.

He harshly bit his thumb, slathering blood across his palm. He flashed through a series of seals, before slamming his hand into the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he called out.

A white puff of smoke engulfed him.

Naruko waited.

And waited.

The smoke gradually dissipated… and Sasuke was gone. Aside from a drop of blood on the grass, it was as if he had never been there at all.

Naruko staggered to her feet. "Sasuke…?" she whispered, her eyes widening.

A moment passed, and he was still gone.

"Sasuke…!"

* * *

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Water…

It was cold. Bitterly cold, as if he had been tossed outside in the dead of winter with nothing but his undergarments on. A draft blew through his hair - his skin crawling with goosebumps.

Where was he…?

It was dark. Incredibly so. He was lying in what seemed to be a small pool of water… so cold that he could feel his body temperature dropping just being in contact with it.

He climbed to his feet, shivering ever so slightly.

A breath.

And then, he activated his sharingan.

He stared at scales. His gaze climbed up, and up, and up, and up - until it finally reached the top of what he was looking at.

"Nice of you to join us… Sasuke-kun."

It was a snake. A snake that was at least as tall as the Hokage's monument, and as wide as his apartment. It was colored a dark grey, and it was _staring_ down at him. Venom trickled from the fangs that jutted out of the roof of it's mouth, the drops so fat that it _exploded_ against the floor, showering his feet and pants. Thankfully, the venom seemed to be harmless - at least, against his bare skin. He imagined that would be entirely different if it was inside of his body…

"Who… what the hell are you?" he murmured. It was so quiet that even considering its relative distance from him, the snake could hear him.

"I am known as Queen Nozuchi." the snake rumbled, it's voice slamming against his eardrums. "However, you may address me as Nozuchi-sama."

Sasuke felt his breathing quicken. He took a step back - as if that would help. The snake was so monstrous that even if he were to _Shunshin_ away from it as fast as he could, it would likely still be able to crush him.

It peered at him with those golden eyes, the size of bay windows. Judging him. Examining him. Seemingly staring into his very soul.

"What am I doing here?" he asked a moment later, _fighting_ to keep his voice steady, to prevent the fear that he was feeling from infecting his every movement.

"You were the one that came here, Sasuke-kun." Nozuchi murmured. "I did not summon you - so, I imagined that you attempted to use the Summoning technique, without having signed a contract before hand."

Sasuke stared up at it, wide eyed. "What… how does that explain why I am here?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Something that sounded like a mix between a hiss and a chuckle escaped Nozuchi's enormous mouth. "I see you are uneducated in this matter." it said. "If you have not signed a contract before hand, the Summoning technique will not summon anything - rather, it will reverse summon you, to the creature that you are most attuned to."

"W-what?" Sasuke said. He was… _attuned_ , to snakes? "No…!"

"You do not have a choice in the matter, Sasuke-kun." Nozuchi slithered. "You are in my home - my domain. You have seen _me_ , and only three kinds of people may see me, Sasuke-kun." it said. "Those who are to become partners with the snake-kind… those whom are already partners with the snakes… and those who will soon be dead." A pause, Nozuchi tilting its head thoughtfully. "What do you say, Sasuke-kun? Which of those three are you, which of those three will you become?"

What… what could he say? Nozuchi had laid out the facts simply.

Become a partner with the snakes… or _die._

The choice was obvious.

"Okay…" Sasuke said, his voice hardly above a whisper.

"Good," Nozuchi said. "You are a strong one, Sasuke-kun - I can sense that much. However, you will still have to pass the test. Stay still. Do not struggle, for that will merely make it worse."

"What do you- oh _shit_!"

A snake had slithered up his foot, unbeknownst to Sasuke as he had been staring up at Nozuchi. Up and up it went, curling around his frame, until it wound tightly around his body - it's glistening fangs angled just a few inches from his fragile skin.

"This is Aoda." Nozuchi said simply. "He has been in hibernation for a very, long time." It dipped down, so close that Sasuke could see the whites in it's golden eyes. "He was born around the same time as you," Nozuchi said. "He's been waiting for you, lying in wait for the day when you would finally come, Sasuke-kun." A pause. "Let us hope you pass this test. Aoda…" Nozuchi murmured.

"... commence the ritual."

Before he could react, Aoda has sunk its fangs into his neck. It felt as if someone was pumping liquid nitrogen into his veins. His whole body shivered, seizing up. He went numb, his face turning sheet white, his eyes drifting back to a dull black.

"ARRGHHH!"

Pain. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt before. His body convulsed, falling to the ground, every one of his limbs on fire. It felt as if a thousand kunai were stabbing him all at once, again and again, never ending, never stopping. It kept going and going- oh please, someone help him, anyone, kaa-san, nii-san, Naruko, help, help help help hel-

The world faded into darkness.

* * *

 **There will be answers in the next chapter. And more likely than naught, more questions as well.**

 **If you're curious about the summoning technique, whether it will actually do that, here's the answer that I found. It was never specified in the manga whether that would happen, but the anime says yes, so that's good enough for me. For people that are following the _Boruto_ anime, Boruto did not use a blood sacrifice, _or_ the right hand seals when doing the summoning jutsu.**

 **If you liked it, don't forget to leave a review - I read each and every one, regardless of the content, and will try to reply to you if I can. If you haven't already, don't forget to favorite and follow the story as well. Thanks for reading, guys, and as always have an absolutely _terrific_ day.**

 **P.S. I have a tumblr now. Follow me there for updates on stories, progress on the next chapter, stuff like that. bige2955 tumblr com/ That's the link. Add periods where they should be, and it'll take you there.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five. This one took a little bit longer than the previous chapter, but I hope the (slight) wait was worth it!  
**

 **But first, some review replies.**

 _ **Rain-XIX -**_ **Well, no limes this chapter. Hopefully, I can have some in the feature to sate your needs, :).**

 _ **lazyrebel -**_ **I'm glad you're enjoying my work!**

 _ **Seja and michelous -**_ **Here's another chapter for you guys!**

 _ **Cuius of Caelum -**_ **I'm glad you appreciated that.  
**

 **Alright. Those are out of the way... so, now let's get to the chapter itself. Don't forget to drop a review telling me what you think. I appreciate all reviews, whether they're short and to the point, or long and detailed. And, be sure to follow and favorite the story if you haven't already. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

 _She… was different._

 _He didn't remember much from that night. The warm burn of alcohol, the cool feel of the glass pressed against his lips as he downed yet another shot of sake. The cool air of the bar, the eager talking of the many patrons around him. That was about it - he couldn't remember faces, names… well, all except one._

 _Her._

 _There was something about her. Bright blue eyes, the same color as the sky. Soft, silky blonde hair that drifted down her back in a glossy curtain. Tanned skin that gleamed in the dim light of the bar. Three little whisker marks, darting across her cheeks. Her voice, soft and soothing._

 _When he had first seen her, he had dismissed her. Why?_

 _He wasn't sure why._

 _Regardless, he had gone up to her, and that was something he would never regret. After all, there was something different about her. In the way she talked, but more importantly, in the way she had talked to him. This was the first time they were meeting, both of their cheeks rosy from alcohol, a warm buzz settling comfortably in their stomachs. They could both feel the pull of attraction, as they shared that bottle of sake together, as they spoke to each other, teased each other, laughed and chuckled.  
_

 _And they talked. Like old friends, they talked. He didn't remember the details, bits and pieces there, but he remembered being able to talk with her. This girl that he had just met._

 _It was strange._

 _Sasuke wasn't the most friendly of people, not even close. He was rude at best, a complete asshole at worst. Dismissive. Cold. Proud, even more proud than most Uchihas. And yet, here he was, half-drunk in some backend bar, just… talking to someone._

 _He hadn't done that before. Just started up a conversation with someone, so easily, so openly._

 _It was something he reserved for his rather small list of friends, and always, there had been a long time before their initial meeting, and them being able to talk._

 _There was Sakura. She had been in his academy class, and oh so enamored with him. She called him 'hot', as most if not all Uchihas were. He was to her as cool as a twelve year old could be. She had hearts in her eyes, and most if not all conversations with her only resulted in her practically undressing him with her eyes._

 _After a while, they had become friends. They had fought with each other, bled for each other. Eventually, her crush faded. It just… happened. One day he had asked why, and her response had been simple - "A girl can't wait forever."_

 _Shikamaru was someone he would consider a… friend. They had been apathetic towards each other. Neutral at best, really. And yet, the both of them had been assigned on a mission together at the age of fifteen - and for nearly a month, they had been holed up together. If you were stuck with someone for that long, one of two things happened… you either became friends, or enemies. In Shikamaru's case, they had become friends. They weren't the closest of friends of course, but they could count on each other on a mission, and Shikamaru was always good for a game of shogi, even if Sasuke lost every time._

 _He couldn't think of any more friends than that._

 _Kakashi was his teacher. Itachi his brother. Shisui, his cousin. Mikoto, his mother, and Fugaku his father. Other than that, he had no one else._

 _But now, there was her._

 _She didn't care that he was an Uchiha. She didn't care that he was hot… or 'cool', or anything like that. She didn't care that he had the blood of many staining his hands, whether they be innocents, shinobi, or bandits. All she cared about… was him._

 _And he cared for her._

 _He cared for her so much that it scared him. They hadn't know each other long - but he couldn't get her out of his head. Everything about her was intoxicating. Her alluring eyes. Her beautiful voice. The feel of her soft body pressed against his._

' _Naruko…'_

* * *

Everything hurt.

 _Drip._

His fingers twitched, and a soft cry of pain escaped him.

 _Drip._

He could hear his heartbeat, pounding in his ears. It sounded… sluggish. Muted. As if someone had decided to replace his blood with sludge, and the lifeforce of his body was struggling to compensate.

There was something moving across his chest. What felt like scales slithered across his skin, and soon he heard a soft hissing in his ear.

"You're alive…" a voice whispered.

Sasuke's throat felt dry, his tongue like sandpaper. He tried to force something out, but all that escaped his dry and cracked lips was a tortured groan.

He swallowed once. Then twice.

And then…

"What… happened…?" Sasuke ground out.

Another hiss. "You managed to pass the ritual." the same voice said. "That much is clear now… for if you had failed - then you would be dead now." A pause. "You will have to hold exceedingly still, Sasuke-sama." it said. "Although you have survived the poison, it is still in your blood… weakening your body, your organs, your life force." A small hiss, as something that felt almost like a tongue brushed against his neck. "I will inject the antidote into you, Sasuke-sama, but I must be precise. Hold still."

It was a snake, that much was obvious. And it hadn't needed to ask him to hold still - he couldn't have lifted a hand if his life depended on it.

He felt it sink its fangs into his neck once more, directly into a vein. It stung. But… unlike last time, it didn't feel cold… rather it felt _warm_. It was pumping something into him, and soon he could feel his strength returning. He could move his fingers at will, and now his toes, and soon he was opening his eyes - although he couldn't see anything, owing to the darkness that encompassed the cave.

Sasuke, with every ounce of will available to him, managed to sit up - his bones and joints crying out as he did so, popping and creaking. His breaths came hard and heavy, his entire body felt as if it was weighed down by lead… but he was alive. He was alive, and that's the important thing.

"I am Aoda, Sasuke-sama." the snake said. He could feel it coiled loosely around his torso, Aoda's mouth close enough to his ear that he jumped as it's voice hit him.

"Where's…" He paused. The snake's name, the absolutely massive one. It took a moment for his mind to recall what it had been called. "Nozuchi?" Sasuke finished.

"She has gone back into hibernation." Aoda said simply. "There is no need for her to resurface, not until the next batch of eggs is ready, or until the next summoner has come before us." A pause. "May you activate your sharingan, Sasuke-sama?"

"I can't." Sasuke said.

"Mmm…" Aoda hissed. "I see."

Sasuke clicked his teeth. "I'll need a few minutes…" he murmured hoarsely. "My chakra's… all… fucked up."

"I understand, Sasuke-sama." Aoda said. "The poison is still being driven from your body." Aoda coiled itself a fraction tighter, although it seemed as if it was merely adjusting its grip on his body. "You will need to sign our contract, before you may leave, Sasuke-sama." Another pause. "In your own blood, of course."

"Okay…"

He didn't care at this point. He had to get home - he had to get out of here. He would cut off his own finger if he could escape this abyss, this damp, dark cave, this virtual hell.

But, he couldn't hold it back. He bit his tongue, and yet the words came spilling past his lips, faster than he could catch them.

"Why the hell am I here?" Sasuke blurted, his eyes wide. "I-I, I _can't_ be attuned to snakes. I just can't."

"But you are," Aoda said. "You were destined to be our summoner from birth, Sasuke-sama." it continued. "Ambition. A lust for power. A thirst to prove yourself. Those are a few of the many qualities that those attuned with my kind possess." Aoda said.

Sasuke felt his breathing quicken. "But snakes are-!"

"I'm aware of your village's prejudices." Aoda murmured. "But they are of no consequence, Sasuke-sama. Once you may activate your sharingan, I will bring the scroll before you. Then, you will sign it with your blood - and the ritual will be complete."

A few minutes passed, in complete silence.

"I can activate my sharingan." Sasuke murmured, his voice a monotone. His eyes were a deep crimson now, and he could see the cave through their filter - including Aoda, who peered up at him with those golden eyes.

A puff of smoke. A small, aged scroll appeared in front of him, already unraveled. There was a short list of names on it… two of which were familiar to him.

 _Orochimaru. Mitarashi Anko._

The first being obvious. The second having been one of his more memorable one night stands.

Sasuke bit his thumb harshly, until blood was pouring from the appendage. With it, he scrawled out his name on the parchment, in the deep crimson that the others signatures were drawn in.

 _Uchiha Sasuke._

The letters glowed for a moment. Once the light had faded, the scroll disappeared with a _pop_.

"As soon as you require my service, Sasuke-sama, use the same jutsu that brought you here." Aoda said.

Without warning, there was another pull - and soon, he was bathed in darkness once again. It lasted for several seconds, and then _poof_ , he could see green, he could see blue and brown and red, and then he was falling down.

He lay there, too weak to move.

And before long, he had succumb, to the beckoning slumber that his exhausted condition brought forth.

* * *

Everything came screeching to a halt.

He was gone. Sasuke, gone.

"Oh fuck…" Naruko whispered, taking a step back. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates, her hands shaking at her sides. "Oh fuck… oh fuck… oh fuck…!" she cursed.

She threw herself forward, pawing at the ground, using her finger nails to tear up great clumps of dirt from the earth as if she could dig up her missing boyfriend.

"Sasuke…!" she called, her voice echoing throughout the trees. "Sasuke- this… this isn't fucking funny. Where the hell are you?"

 _Thump. Thump._

That was her heartbeat, wasn't it? Pounding in her ears, so loud that it drowned out all the sounds of nature that surrounded the clearing.

Naruko felt her breathing quicken. Her cheeks turned rosy. She stared at the ground where Sasuke had disappeared, her fingernails brown, her hands stained with brown dirt and clay.

Slowly, Naruko rose to her feet - legs wobbling unsteadily beneath her. A sort of strangled sound, a mix of a sob and a groan, torn from her throat - Naruko clutching her hands close to her chest, screwing her eyes up.

As gently as she could manage, she spread her senses out, desperately searching for that familiar chakra… that signature that could belong to no one else, so fiery and powerful that it took her breath away every time she felt it.

' _Sasuke…'_ she thought. _'Come on… come on, where are you…!'_

There was nothing to be found. Not even a wisp of his chakra, as far as she could feel - nothing, nothing at all. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck, fuck!_

In a blur of yellow and orange, she took off running, her feet pounding the ground. The wind whistled in her ears, her blonde pigtails fluttering behind her as she sprinted out of the clearing and down the path.

' _Come on, think!'_ Naruko told herself. _'Where could he be?'_

He had used the summoning jutsu - and Naruko _knew_ that he had done it properly, making the blood sacrifice, forming the necessary hand seals, _everything_. Well, it was _Sasuke!_ If anything went wrong, Naruko doubted that it was his fault for executing the jutsu improperly.

Trees passed by her in a whirl. The path was winding, but soon, far far in the distance she could see a break in the treeline - and then she was out, back inside of rural Konoha with the same old cottages and the same old people. Normally, Naruko would take some time to soak in the beauty of the village that she loved so, so much…

… but for obvious reasons, her mind was elsewhere.

As soon as she reached the dense urban center of the village, Naruko took to the rooftops, her orange and black jumpsuit rippling in the wind as she leapt deftly from roof to roof, chakra enhanced jumps allowing her to clear the distances with ease.

For now, she had made up her mind. Clearly, Sasuke was just trying to trick her or something - psyche her out as some kind of retribution for that 'pregnancy' scare she had pulled on him. She would check his apartment… and if he wasn't there, then she'd go the fucking Uchiha compound if she had to, and tear it apart until she could find her boyfriend and kick his ass.

She flushed. _Boyfriend!_

Perhaps, if Naruko hadn't been internally debating whether to kiss Sasuke senseless when she found him, _then_ beat his ass - or vice versa- she probably would have noticed the red and green blur that was coming straight for her.

She didn't. And she paid for it in gusto.

"Oof!" Like a speeding bullet, Kushina slammed into Naruko - sending both of them flying out over the street and sprawling out on the opposite rooftop. Once Naruko's vision had settled, she realized that the weight on her chest was her mother, Kushina, who was straddling her hips.

It would have been a suggestive position, if not for the fiery expression on the red headed woman's face. Kushina gripped the collar of Naruko's jumpsuit, pulling the blonde so close that she could see the whites in her mother's violet eyes.

" _You lied._ " Kushina murmured, her voice so low that even though they were this close, Naruko had to strain to hear her.

"W-what…?" Naruko managed to get out, her eyes widening.

"You lied about where you went!" Kushina snarled. "Ayame told me that you ordered takeout from Ichiraku's, and that you looked like you were going somewhere." She tugged on Naruko's collar. "Where did you go?"

"H-home?" Naruko stuttered.

"Then where were the empty ramen cups, Naruko?" Kushina said. "The stains on my couches, the chopsticks left lying around!"

"I… I cleaned it up…?" Naruko murmured weakly.

"Don't bullshit me." Kushina said. "Where did you go, Naruko?"

It was all too much.

First, her boyfriend had up and disappeared - no note, no goodbye, nothing, he just fucking _vanished_. And then, her mother tackles her, holds her down to the ground, and threatened to unearth the secret that she and Sasuke had been hiding.

Naruko couldn't handle it anymore.

" _I was with my boyfriend!_ " Naruko blurted out.

Kushina blinked. "Boyfriend…?" Her eyes narrowed. "How long have you had a boyfriend?"

"W-we've known each other for a week or two…" Naruko managed to get out, the blonde still shocked at what had come out of her own mouth. "... but we've only been really dating for a couple of days."

"Who is it?" Kushina asked.

Naruko swallowed a lump in her throat, that felt the size of a golf ball. There was no going back now. "Sa-Sasuke." she said.

"... _Uchiha_ Sasuke…?" Kushina murmured in disbelief.

Slowly, Naruko nodded.

Kushina was dumbfounded. "You two barely talked when we had dinner with Mikoto and her family…" she murmured.

Another harsh swallow. "We met before that." Naruko admitted.

Kushina took a deep, deep breath - closing her violet eyes for a moment, just to compose herself. "Why were you in such a hurry…?" Kushina asked after a minute of silence. "Where were you going?"

"I-I was training with Sasuke." Naruko said. "And he did a jutsu and just _disappeared_! I don't know where he went, or whether he's-"

"What jutsu did he use?" Kushina asked.

"The summoning technique." Naruko said.

Kushina stilled. "Sasuke-san doesn't have a summoning contract… does he?" she asked.

Naruko felt a frown curl her lips. "He said that never really thought about having a summon." she murmured.

The redhead sighed, climbing to her feet and allowing Naruko some room to breath. "That's a problem," Kushina murmured.

Naruko blinked. "Why?" she asked, climbing unsteadily to her feet, wincing ever so slightly. The weight of her mother's body had caused her legs to go slightly numb, and she had to grab the railing on the side of the roof whilst waiting for the blood to flow properly again.

"If you don't have a summoning contract, but you preform the jutsu anyways, it reverse summons you."

"Where does it take you?" Naruko asked.

"To the home of the animal that you are most attuned with." Kushina explained. "It's how Jiraiya-sama found the toads, you know - Minato told me the story back in the day when we were dating. Jiraiya-sama ended up spending _months_ with them, training and getting stronger." She chuckled. "I'm sure Sandaime-jiichan must have been freaking out."

"So… Sasuke's going to be missing for _months_?" Naruko said, wide eyed. "What animal is he attuned to anyways?"

Kushina shrugged. "I wouldn't know… I barely know the kid." Kushina said. "He _is_ an Uchiha… so maybe a bird or something like that. I think his brother, Itachi-kun, can summon crows… so maybe Sasuke-san's summon will be hawks or ravens or whatever."

"But- there _has_ to be something we can do…!" Naruko sunk to her knees, tugging at the hem of her mother's dress, a pleading look in her eye. "He's my boyfriend-" ( _Boyfriend!_ ) "-, I can't just leave him to rot in some bear cave!"

"You'll have to wait a little while, then." Kushina said. "I-" She sighed. "I don't know what Minato would do if he found out you were dating someone. And… well, I'm not going to tell him and find out. We wait until Mikoto-chan and the Uchihas realize that he's missing, and _then_ we can do something about it, Naruko." Kushina explained. "But, if we go running into Minato's office, or the Uchiha compound now, they're going to know something's up."

"Alright…" Naruko said, deflating. A moment later, her head perked up. "You're- you're not going to tell tou-san about Sasuke and I…?" she asked.

Kushina shot her a wary smile. "You're seventeen." Kushina said. "I'm not going to try and dictate your life… and besides, Sasuke-san seems like a good kid." She reached a hand down, ruffling her daughter's hair playfully. "Just don't do anything that the two of you will regret, alright?"

"Okay." Naruko said, once more climbing to her feet. "Are you sure we can't tell anybody…?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Kushina said. "Sasuke will be fine, sweetie." She looped an arm around Naruko's shoulder, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Let's go get some Ichiraku's or something… that should help you calm down."

"I-" Naruko sighed. "Fine…" she said, her voice low.

As one, the two leapt off of the rooftop - both of them heading in the same direction, as if they were pulled to Ichiraku's by some sort of ethereal force.

In the end, Sasuke didn't reappear that night. Itachi's birthday party came and went, with Mikoto and Itachi, Shisui and Fugaku coming to realize that Sasuke was missing. Uchiha policemen were sent around the village (Shisui making sure to search through Konoha's various hotels), with no luck to be had. And even the night after that, he didn't reappear.

Finally, two days after he had vanished, Sasuke finally returned.

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he laid there - his body weak, his only movements being the occasional twitching of his legs or arms.

Eventually, however, a piercing yell startled him, a shiver of pain shooting up his spine as his body, on instinct, tried to jump.

"GAI-SENSEI!" a voice… a vaguely familiar voice… shouted. "There is somebody in our training grounds!"

The sound of approaching footsteps. Something that felt like a foot pressed into his side, and soon he was being flipped over onto his back.

"Sasuke-kun!" a voice said. So bright and boisterous…

"He's been missing for a few days, hasn't he?" a feminine voice cut in.

"The Uchihas were causing quite the ruckus over it." a male voice said in a dull monotone. "They even had a couple of Hyuga use their Byakugan to scan the village."

"Of course!" An even _more_ loud voice cut in, although it was clearly the voice of a grown man. "Our dear Sasuke-kun must have trained so hard and extensively, that he has collapsed here and has been unable to return home! Truly, he had brandished the power of youth like none other!" Sasuke could hear the twinkle in _his_ teeth. "Lee! Pay extra close attention to the way Sasuke-kun has been-"

"You idiots." the girl's voice cut in. "If Sasuke-san was training, then the Hyugas would have _seen_ him out here." A sound, as if someone was crouching next to him. "Sasuke?" the girl said. "Can you hear us?"

He tried to say something - but all that he could force out was a sort of strangled groan.

"Okay. He's alive at least." the girl said. "Gai-sensei, we need to take him to the hospital."

"OF COURSE!" Gai roared. "I knew that my rival's student was powerful indeed, but to be able to make it home even when he is so battered and bruised… truly, _truly_ admirable!" Strong hands scooped Sasuke up, and soon he felt as if he was being slung over somebody's shoulder. "Let us go! You three begin your training, I will be back as soon as I have taken Sasuke-kun to the hospital!"

And then they were off.

At some point along the journey, Sasuke felt himself nod off once more. Even that small spell of sharingan usage in the snake's cave had worn him out. He felt almost… sick. He was still very thirsty, and his stomach ached and throbbed with abject hunger.

Voices. He could hear voices, both masculine and feminine. Gai continued to carry him, until he was set down on something extraordinarily soft.

A cup was pressed to his lips, and he swallowed the water they provided him gratefully. Soon, someone was spooning what seemed to be hot broth into his mouth - and gradually, he could feel his strength truly returning.

 _Tick._

It was a long while before Sasuke truly came back around. And when he did… understandably, he freaked out a tad.

 _Tick._

After a moment, he realized where he was. No, he wasn't in a dark cave, staring up into the eyes of the largest snake he had ever seen. No, he wasn't knees deep in a pile of bodies. He was in Konoha. He was safe, cushioned in a hospital bed, the warm air of the village flowing in through a window and blowing against his face.

Sasuke raised an arm up, flexing it experimentally. No pain. He took a deep breath, feeling as the chakra swirled and compressed within his core. He could almost visualize the blue substance within him, emitting both power and beauty at the same time.

He let out a shuddering breath.

Back then… when the snake had clamped its fangs down on his neck and had injected him full of its poison - he had thought it was over. He had given in… fully expected that death would soon follow, as his cries of pain and agony had bounced off the walls of that deep, dark cave.

But he was alive.

He was _alive_.

Something else was nudging at him though.

Namely, the fact that he, Uchiha Sasuke… was a _snake_ summoner.

Snakes weren't just unpopular in Konoha, they were _vilified_. Even in ages long past, when the Senju and the Uchiha hadn't yet found peace with each other, snakes had always been a symbol of evil. Of darkness. A slippery serpent that threatened to sink its teeth into the village and its clans, their sole goal to ruin the peace that his ancestors had fought and died to achieve.

Prejudices were a hard thing to break. And the last time the village had opened its eyes and had _trusted_ a snake summoner…

Well, Orochimaru had ended up a mass murderer. A man who experimented on people with no moral qualms, and had become one of Konoha's most dangerous enemies.

Nowadays, no snake summoner was trusted. To even be known as one was a source of ridicule and of unwarranted hatred. Orochimaru's wounds were still fresh after all, and it was hard to find a shinobi who hadn't lose a friend or a family member to the sannin's murderous rampages, or horrific experiments.

Sasuke swallowed. And now, _he_ was a snake summoner. He hoped beyond hope that they hadn't done a medical examination upon his body quite yet… for if they had, then the bite mark on his neck would be more than sufficient evidence for what had happened to him.

His fingers twitched.

 _Tick._ _Tick. Tick._

* * *

A door opened.

Four pairs of matching dark eyes locked onto the figure that had stepped in - the same worry evident in each of their inky depths.

"Is he alright, Tsunade-sama?" Mikoto said, standing up from the hospital bench that she had been sitting down on, smoothing out her dress.

Tsunade wiped her brow, before shooting Mikoto a smile. "He's just fine, Uchiha-san." Tsunade said. "Now, from what I can tell, he doesn't appear to be hurt in any way. But… I was unable to perform a closer examination."

"Why?" Shisui asked, Itachi having opened his mouth to ask the same question.

"The patient reacted rather… violently whenever I got too close." Tsunade said simply. "I believe he was having a nightmare of some sort, although I'm not entirely sure. Before, when Gai brought him here, I'm sure he was simply too weak to do anything… but now that his strength has somewhat returned..." She sighed, blowing a curl of blonde hair out of her eye. "Anyways, the best guess I can make about what happened to him is severe chakra exhaustion. Brought on by either battle, or Sasuke-san pushing his body to the very limits in training."

Fugaku stood up as well, joining his wife. He folded his arms across his chest. "Is he awake?" Fugaku asked, his voice a monotone.

"Not as of right now." Tsunade said. "If you'd like, I'll forward a message along when-"

"We're staying here." Mikoto and Itachi said in unision.

Tsunade smiled. "I'll send a nurse along when he wakes up." the blonde said. "Until then… you can wait in here. If you need anything, just ask." She waited to see if Mikoto or any of them had anything else to say - before striding out of the waiting room, her sandals clicking against the floor.

And they waited.

There wasn't much conversation - aside from Shisui asking the others whether they wanted anything from the vending machine down the hall, about an hour in. Although they didn't say anything, he returned with packets of onigiri and water bottles, which the others drank and ate with gusto.

Two hours had passed. Itachi had taken to pacing back and forth, Fugaku and Mikoto quietly conversing in a corner of the room while Shisui took a nap on one of the benches.

Finally, at the two hour and forty three minute mark (Itachi had been counting), a nurse strolled in. "He's awake."

By the time the words were halfway out of her mouth, the Uchihas had already scrambled out of their seats, past her and into the hall. They didn't know which room he was in - but Shisui merely searched for his chakra, and soon he had lead them to his location, tucked away in a secure room in a corner of the hospital.

They burst in.

Sasuke stared.

Shisui, Itachi, Mikoto, and Fugaku stared.

And then, as one, Shisui and Mikoto threw themselves at Sasuke - Fugaku and Itachi both unable to repress the smiles that broke out over their faces as they trailed behind the two.

"Where the hell have you been!" Shisui roared, a grin on his face.

"My baby boy…!" Mikoto cooed, throwing her arms around him.

Fugaku and Itachi saw their son/little brother's distress, and stepped in. Fugaku gently pulled Mikoto away from Sasuke, while Shisui was jerked back by an irate Itachi.

"What happened?" Itachi asked, a moment later once they had all settled down.

Sasuke felt the ghost of a frown curl his lips. "I- don't remember." he lied. "It's just… blank."

"What's the last thing that you remember?" Mikoto asked.

His mind worked fast, and soon, an acceptable excuse materialized in his head. "Hokage-sama had his daughter assigned to my team for a day." Sasuke said quietly. "I saw her do the summoning technique - and I… copied it with my sharingan. I remember doing the jutsu… and then, the next thing I knew I was waking up in a hospital."

Fugaku and Mikoto exchanged a glance.

"If you don't remember anything, then that likely means that you failed your summon's test." Fugaku said quietly. "If you attempt the summoning jutsu without a contract, then you are reverse summoned to the home of the animal that you are attuned to." Fugaku explained to Sasuke. "I suppose you went there… and either failed their test, or refused to take it. I'd imagine they probably have methods of wiping their memory, in case you had accidently learned secrets that they wouldn't want revealed."

"That doesn't explain the chakra exhaustion." Shisui pointed out.

Fugaku folded his arms across his chest. "That was just my theory." the Uchiha patriarch said. "I'm fairly certain that's what happened - but, considering that… perhaps the creature that Sasuke is attuned to gave him a trial of arms or something of that sort."

"Maybe." Sasuke said.

"We're just glad you're home." Mikoto said, smiling sweetly. She reached forward, gently stroking Sasuke's cheek. "Itachi's party went well," she told him. "Shisui and Izumi managed to keep it… _appropriate_." she said, shooting Shisui a momentary glare. "Are you feeling alright?" Mikoto asked. "You seem a little warm," she said, pressing a hand against his temple. "Do you need some more rest?"

"Yeah…" Sasuke murmured. "That- that would be good."

"Alright." Mikoto drew back. "We'll be back later," she told him. "Do you know when they're going to dismiss you?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"I'll have to ask, Tsunade-sama." Mikoto murmured. "Come on, boys." she said. "Let's give Sasuke some privacy."

They said their goodbyes, before leaving the room - Mikoto closing the door softly behind her. Once more, the hospital room was plunged in silence, aside from…

 _Tick. Tick._

He closed his eyes, and all he could see was darkness - aside from the golden orbs staring at him from high above.

 _Tick. Tick._

* * *

Night came and went. Tsunade came in once more - and conducted her medical exam… although Sasuke took great care to ensure that she didn't get a close look at the skin of his neck, feigning shooting pains there whenever she touched it. Nurses came and went, bringing food and water, sometimes taking him on brief walks to avoid bedsores and to stretch his muscles.

Thankfully, he was strong enough to get up and go to the bathroom whenever he needed to - Sasuke more than glad at having to avoid the agony of having to shit and piss in bedpans or something of that sort.

It was around noon now. His mother had come in an hour or so ago, with a small basket of tomatoes, bread, and rice, insisting that she refused to allow him to exist solely on hospital food during his stay there. She'd stayed in the room until he had eaten every last bite - and then had departed, telling him that Shisui and Itachi wouldn't be coming for a few days, due to the both of them being on missions.

Sasuke sighed, twiddling with his thumbs. If there was one thing he hated, it was the mind numbing boredom of being trapped in this hospital room - staring out at the village, as the crowds of people moved about its streets, going about their everyday lives. From here, he could see shinobi leaping across rooftops… either jounin, chunin, and genin going to and from the mission office, or ANBU and Uchiha policemen patrolling around the village, looking for criminals and the like.

The door opened. And a nurse stepped in - an unfamiliar one. She must be new, Sasuke thought, as she gently closed the door behind her.

She turned to face him… and Sasuke _froze_.

There was only one person he knew that had a grin like that. So bright, and so lively, so full of just… yeah. This nurse clearly wasn't who she seemed to be.

 _Poof_! The nurse was temporarily obscured by a cloud of smoke… and as that wafted away, the form of none other than Uzumaki Naruko, clad in her usual jumpsuit, stood before him.

She didn't say anything. He didn't say anything, his mind simply working to process what was happening.

There was a piece of paper in a holder by the door, one that could be slid over the window in order to obscure anyone looking inside. Naruko picked it up - gently pressing it over the window. Then, she made her way around the bed, closing the blinds and drowning the natural light that flowed through those particular windows, leaving only the light hanging overhead as a source of brightness.

She looked at him.

And then…

She threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. " _Sasuke…!_ " she whined, her voice choked, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I thought- fuck, I thought that you were dead… or-or playing a trick on me, or- I don't fuck know!" She gasped for breath. "But you're here. You're fine… you're fine…"

"I'm alright, Naruko." Sasuke murmured, rubbing her back. "I'm alright."

She beamed at him, pulling up a chair and sitting down at his bedside. "So…" Naruko said. "What place did you get taken to?" she asked. "Bears? Mongooses? Flamingos?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. "I don't remember." he said.

Naruko looked at him. "You're a bad liar, 'suke." she said, poking him teasingly. "Come on! Spill it…!"

Another deep breath. He- he couldn't tell her. What would she think of him? He couldn't bear the idea of Naruko… _hating_ him, for being a snake summoner. He had to keep it secret… but she was going to whittle the truth out of him if she stayed here.

"I… think you should leave." he said, his voice slightly shaky.

Naruko blinked. "Le- leave…?" she said, recoiling as if she had just been stabbed. "But… why?" A pause. "Did you learn how to summon like unicorns or something? Are you just embar-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Sasuke said quickly. "And… like I said, I think that you should leave." A momentary pause. "I just need some time, Naruko… that's… that's all."

She stared at him for a long moment. Naruko didn't even appear as if she was breathing, and she wasn't blinking either - those bright blue eyes of hers boring into his dark ones.

"No." she said.

"What?" Sasuke said.

"I'm not leaving you, Sasuke." Naruko said, taking one of his hands in both of her own. "You're stuck with me."

He frowned. "Leave," he said, jerking his hand from her grip.

"I'm not leaving, Sasuke…!" Naruko said. "What's so bad anyways? I'm your girlfriend, I-"

"Leave…" he whispered

She went on, ignoring him. "- deserve to know what happened. You can't just disappear for two days and then not tell me what happened." Naruko poked him again. "What happened, Sasuke? Come on, tell me what-"

Sasuke grit his teeth. " _Just fucking leave, Naruko!"_ he snarled.

"W-what?" Naruko said.

"Just fucking go." Sasuke told her, his voice dark. "I- I want to be alone. Just leave me the fuck alone."

The moment he said those words, he regretted it - but it was too late to take it back. A moment passed, in absolute silence. Naruko looked hurt, her eyes soon once again glistening with unshed tears.

"Fine!" Naruko said, standing up. "You know what, fine? If- if you don't want to be around me…" She sniffed. "Then you don't need to!"

And without another word, she tore out of the room, slamming it behind her. She didn't even bother transforming back into her nurse disguise.

Sasuke cradled his head in his hands. "Fuck…" he groaned. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Never in his life had he ever felt like such an asshole. She'd just been trying to help him, and he'd- argh… why couldn't she have just listened? He said he wanted to be alone, and she had just- _fuck!_

Sasuke had hurt a lot of people in his life. He had _killed_ people, tore them away from their families for money and for the 'honor' of his village. And yet… hurting Naruko made him feel… it made him feel…

He didn't know the word for it.

 _Tick._

"Naruko…" he murmured, almost to himself.

 _Tick._

 _Tick._

 _Tick._

* * *

 **I feel like I'm being a tease with all of the cliffhangers. :p**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading the story guys.** ** **Don't forget to drop a review telling me what you think. I appreciate all reviews, whether they're short and to the point, or long and detailed. And, be sure to follow and favorite the story if you haven't already.****

 ** **Well, not much more to say in this A/N. Again, thanks for reading this chapter... and as always, have an _amazing_ day!****


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter. I'm pretty tired right now... so, no long author's note.**

 **There's a lemon in this chapter, near the end. It's got a lot of dialogue in it - and honestly, this is an M rated fic, so if you can't read the lemon you probably shouldn't be reading this anyways. Whatever. You've been warned.**

* * *

"Deep breaths. In… out. In… out. In… out." A pause, as Tsunade took the stethoscope off, wounding it tightly and gently setting it down on a nearby counter. "Alright," she said, pulling off her latex gloves with a _snap_. "You're good to go, Sasuke."

"Great," he said.

"Your brother brought some clothes in yesterday, for you to wear today." Tsunade drawled. "They're in that bag, there." she said, pointing at a plastic bag sitting on a counter of his hospital room. "Get dressed, and don't forget to sign out when you're in the lobby."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What about my things?" he asked. "My sword, my kunai, my-"

"Already taken care of," Tsunade said, with a wave of her hand. "I think your mother brought those home." She filled out a few things on her clipboard. "You should be at a hundred percent within the next few days," Tsunade informed him. "Let's hope I _don't_ have to see you soon, shall we?" she said, a smirk playing on her lips.

Sasuke forced out a chuckle. "Yeah." he said. "Let's hope."

She gave him a curt nod. And then, she strolled out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. He could hear the slap of her sandals against the tiled floor for a few moments, and then, they faded.

Sasuke heaved a sigh. He was glad to get out of the hospital, to be able to train, to eat something other than the hospital food (although his mother's occasional visits helped in that department), and most importantly… to try and make things right with Naruko.

He shed the hospital clothing, opening up the bag on the counter and slipping into his own clothes. It was simple attire - a plain, navy blue shirt with the Uchiha fan sewn into the back, a pair of boxers, some sandals, and a pair of black trousers.

Sasuke was infinitely glad that most of his shirts were high-collars. Which suited him perfectly. Whatever had been in that snake's fangs… Aoda, he was pretty sure it was called… the wound itself hadn't healed yet. It didn't hurt. But the two little dots in the side of his neck were noticeable if you looked carefully, and Sasuke had accidentally taken up the habit of running his fingers over them every now and then, to see if they had begun to fade. They had… but only a tad, and at this rate, it was going to be weeks before they were gone entirely.

But, for now, high-collars were the way to go. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to change his wardrobe all that much.

It only took a moment for Sasuke to dress. Before he went out of his room, however, he decided to duck into the bathroom. He turned the sink on with a twist of his wrist, splashing some of the cold water against his face. Sasuke rubbed the dark skin underneath his eye, a look of irritation on his face.

' _One of them is bound to be downstairs,'_ Sasuke thought glumly. _'Best to just… get it over with, get home, and-'_ A brief pause of his thoughts. What _was_ he going to do?

He couldn't afford to think about that now.

Sasuke strode out of the bathroom, his chin up, his head held high. If one were to look closely, however, they would be able to tell that the look in his eyes was a shade _too_ confident to be entirely real.

He wrenched the door of the hospital room open, and stepped out into the hallway. He made sure to close it behind him, but after that, he took off down the hall at a brisk pace. Brushing past nurses who not so subtly glanced at him, hearts in their eyes. Nodding to a doctor or two. Flying down a stairwell so fast that he was a mere blur.

And soon enough, he was out in the lobby. It was crammed full of people - gurneys with people missing limbs and/or spurting obscene amounts of blood flying by. The benches that lined each end of the hall were packed side to side, shoulder to shoulder with people, most of whom who were presumably here for more minor ailments.

He did what Tsunade instructed him to do, and signed out. Once he told the clerk at the desk what he was doing, she handed him a clipboard and a pen - and next to his name, he scrawled his signature, and the time of departure.

Once that was done, he was free to go. Well, in theory. As he strolled out of the hospital's front entrance… there was no mistaking that spiky hair, those dark eyes, that small smile.

Shisui was leaning against a pillar, one hand in his pocket, the other tapping gently on the marble pillar. He saw Sasuke, and gave him a casual wave with two fingers. "Yo," he said.

"Hey." Sasuke said, nodding his head.

Shisui yawned, stretching slightly. "Itachi's out on a mission." Shisui drawled. "And Mikoto-basan had to go to some office function with Fugaku-sama."

"I see," Sasuke said. A brief pause. "How… how have you been?" Sasuke asked.

"As good as I can be." Shisui said. He folded his arms over his chest. "So, you ready to tell me what happened?" he asked.

The ghost of a frown settled on Sasuke's lips. "I told you," he said. "I don't remember."

Shisui let out a sigh, having to resist the temptation to roll his eyes. "Uh huh." Shisui said. He gave Sasuke a long, hard look. "You got any plans, Sasuke?"

"Not really."

"Good," Shisui said. "We're going to go get something to eat. On me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Alright…" he murmured. "What did you have in mind?"

"Is Yakiniku alright?" Shisui asked.

"That's fine." Sasuke said.

"Good."

The walk there was… quiet. Sasuke could tell that Shisui was struggling with something - his face twisted and turned ever so often, scrunching up as if he was sniffing vomit… or, as if he was thinking about something very important.

They stepped inside of Yakiniku - a popular Korean restaurant, that he remembered frequenting with Sakura and Kakashi every so often. Their food was very good, although you had to be careful to prevent a certain member of Team Asuma from sneaking some of your food away.

The hostess was a rather attractive woman, flowing brown hair, a round face and a healthy glow about her. "Shisui-kun!" she said, smiling brightly. "What can I do for you today?"

Shisui flashed her a smile, although Sasuke could tell it was hollow. "My cousin and I are going to need a table," he said, nodding to Sasuke. "Do you think we could get the private room… if it's open that is?'

"Of course!" she said. "I'll make sure a waiter is sent back there to take your order."

"Thanks." Shisui said. "Come on, Sasuke."

Shisui lead him through the restaurant. Soon, the both of them were ducking into the private room. It was empty, naturally - a long table with ten or so seats, and two braziers on either side of the table. They slid into two seats facing each other.

A waiter was soon by. They ordered their drinks and food - Shisui and Sasuke getting the same things, a cold glass of water and the lunch special.

Finally, Sasuke decided to break the silence. "I didn't think this place would lease the private room out to just anybody." he said lightly, his hands resting gently on the table.

"Yeah…" Shisui murmured. "Once upon a time, the owner's daughter - that woman we saw back there - was kidnapped by some thugs, looking for protection money. I was the one who was assigned on the mission to rescue her."

"I see." Sasuke said.

Another long pause.

"What did you want to talk about, Shisui?" Sasuke said suddenly, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Shisui murmured something under his breath. His face twisted, becoming eerily blank, his eyes growing glossy. "I… whatever you're not telling us, Sasuke," Shisui said. "I know it must be something serious. Something bad. Something- something serious enough that you wouldn't tell your own family about it."

"What are you on about…?"

Shisui bit his lip. "Everyone… _everyone_ has their secrets, Sasuke. Mikoto-basan, Itachi, Fugaku-sama, me… and now, you." A pause. "I want you to know that you're not alone. And- I've… I've decided to tell you something. Something that I've only told one person before this."

Sasuke was silent. His face serious.

And Shisui continued on.

"A long time… before you were born, I had a friend. I won't tell you his name - to… protect his memory, I suppose, or… maybe… whatever." Shisui sighed. "He and I were the best of friends. We laughed. We trained. We sparred, we went on missions… fuck, we did _everything_ together. Absolutely everything. There was just one problem."

Sasuke's mouth felt strangely dry. "What was it?" Sasuke asked.

"I was jealous of him." Shisui said. "So… damn jealous. It might seem insane, crazy even, but he was better than me at _everything_. A better talker. A better shinobi. A better person. Eventually, our friendship fell apart… because of me. He became my rival, the person I always strived to beat, but never could."

Shisui closed his eyes.

"One day… he and I were dispatched on a mission… alone. We were genin, then - but it was a test of sorts, by our sensei, to see if we were ready to take the exams." His voice grew strained. "It was a trap. The enemy had planned on killing our sensei - but they found us instead. We ran… we ran as fast as we could, bolting through the trees. My friend… he fell behind."

Even after he reopened his eyes, Shisui refused to meet Sasuke's gaze.

"I could have saved him." Shisui murmured. "I could have. But- I didn't. I let my jealousy… my idiocy, my fear, I let it take me over… and I left him behind." He closed his eyes once more. "Eventually, I doubled back. And I found him. His mangled body, his arm cut off, burns all over his body… they'd… they'd tortured him."

He swallowed.

"That Sasuke… is how I awoke my Mangekyou sharingan. Because I left my friend to die."

"I thought-" Sasuke paused. "I thought you awakened the Mangekyou by… watching someone close to you die." he admitted. "That's- that's how you and Itachi told me you got it."

When Kakashi had first brandished his Mangekyou sharingan in a battle, Sasuke had been perplexed beyond belief. He hadn't the _slightest_ idea of what it was. His father rebuffed his questions, his mother merely refused to answer him - but, in the end, Shisui and Itachi had explained to him what it was… and the things you had to do in order to obtain it.

Shisui shook his head. "You don't have to stick the blade in their chest yourself." Shisui mumbled.

Something occurred to Sasuke. "What… what about Kakashi-sensei…?" His tongue felt like sandpaper. When the hell was that waiter going to come with their drinks? "How… how did he get the Mangekyou?"

A dark chuckle spilled from Shisui's lips. "You didn't hear this from me." Shisui told him. "But- once upon a time, Kakashi's teammate was captured by the enemy. They turned her into a… ticking time bomb of sorts, set to go off the second she stepped back in Konoha. She knew this. Kakashi refused to accept the truth. Kakashi was fighting the same shinobi that had captured her… and his teammate threw herself in front of his Chidori. Killed her pretty much instantaneously."

Sasuke felt his face pale. "How do you know that…?"

Shisui chuckled. "Kakashi was an idol of mine when I was younger." Shisui murmured. "I used to spend _all_ of my time, digging up his past, trying to emulate him. When I found out how his teammate died… and a couple of years ago, when you told me that he had the Mangekyou… I put two and two together."

Sasuke was silent for a long while.

"If you still don't feel comfortable telling me the truth, you don't have to." Shisui said, flashing Sasuke a small smile. "But… you're not alone. Everyone has a skeleton in their closet, Sasuke. You just have to look hard enough."

* * *

Naruko shivered, her blue eyes opening up.

She had been trying - and failing - to obtain a nice bit of sleep, sprawled out on the living room couch, clad in her favorite pair of froggy pajamas, her customary nightcap poised on her head.

Kyuubi had been acting up lately. Rumbling. She couldn't understand half of what he was saying - but Kyuubi seemed happy… about something. Ever since she had split up with S-

She stopped herself right there. She hadn't split up with him, no! She was just… mad at him. Yeah. He was a mean little teme, and until he apologized, she would _not_ seek him out, she would _not_ think about just how much she wanted to talk with him, to train with him… to finally have sex with him considering it'd been a week and she was going crazy…!

' _He had better apologize soon.'_ Naruko thought, grumbling as she eased herself off the couch. She yawned, scratching the side of her cheek almost absentmindedly. Naruko was dimly aware of just how _hungry_ she was, and resolved to dig through the cabinets in search of the instant ramen she knew had to be somewhere.

She padded into the kitchen.

Sleepy as she was - she _actually_ didn't notice the figure sitting in the chair where her father normally sat, his legs kicked up on the table, his arms folded over his chest, a small smirk on his face.

"Looking for this, Naruko-chan?" he said, holding out a cup of instant ramen - incidentally, the _last_ cup of instant ramen in the house.

She wheeled around, her blue eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. And then… the biggest, brightest smile spread across her face, as she ran forward and _slammed_ herself into the man sitting at the table, nearly sending him toppling from the floor and onto the ground.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruko cheered.

"Hey, kiddo." Jiraiya said, patting her on the back affectionately. "Been awhile, hasn't it?"

"A _while_?" Naruko practically screeched, drawing back. "It's been a _year_ , Ero-sennin!" she said, poking him in the chest. "A whole damn year! No letters, no frogs, no visits…!"

Jiraiya smiled. "Sorry. I had some business to attend to… things that you wouldn't even _begin_ to understand."

Naruko folded her arms over her chest. "Let me guess," she said. "They finally let you back into the brothels near Kumo?"

Jiraiya deflated. "It's not my fault that Kumo women are my weakness…!" he whined. "That dark skin… like chocolate… argh… I just couldn't get enough of it!" He shook his head. "Not that, though… or at least, not _just_ that," Jiraiya said, to her pointed look. "Some stuff about Ak- a top secret organization, some information I think Minato is going to just _love_."

Naruko whined. "You always talk about this 'secret' club, but you never tell me what it's about!" she said, pressing her lips together in a pout.

"With good reason." Jiraiya said. He looked her up and down. "Something's different about you gaki." He gave her a good sniff, Naruko drawing back slightly. "Oh… oh… I see." he said, a lecherous grin curling his lips. "Is my little Naruko-chan no longer a virgin…?"

She flushed, jumping forward and clapping a hand over his mouth. "Shh!" Naruko hissed. "You- you can't tell kaa-san or tou-san about it, Ero-sennin!" she pleaded. "You know how they would react!"

Jiraiya batted her hand away. "Keep your hands away from the merchandise, Naruko!" he said, flashing her a grin. "And do you really think your dear godfather would be so cold hearted as to sign the death warrant for whatever poor boy you managed to convince to sleep with you?" he said. "I won't tell them. But- on one condition."

Naruko narrowed her eyes. "Let me hear it first…" she said.

He chuckled. "Tell me about him." Jiraiya said.

She flushed. "W-what… like… size?"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a pervert, Naruko-chan!" he said, fully aware of his own hypocrisy. "I know that there's no chance in hell you slept with someone and _didn't_ end up making them your boyfriend." He raised an eyebrow. "Or… girlfriend…?" he said, almost hopefully.

"Boyfriend." Naruko said rather forcefully. She glanced behind her, as if almost expecting her father to be standing there, before slipping into a seat at Jiraiya's side. "His name is… um… Uchiha Sasuke." She said his name _very_ quickly, but Jiraiya easily caught it - he was a sannin after all.

"Uchiha Sasuke…" Jiraiya murmured. "That'd be Itachi's younger brother then. Hope he's as sharp as Itachi - or at least as humble." Naruko's lips twitched. "And he's Kakashi's student as well, isn't he? How did that happen?"

"You'll _never_ tell kaa-san or tou-san about this?" Naruko asked.

"Never." Jiraiya said.

"Well… we met at a bar." Naruko said. Jiraiya gave her a disappointed look, but didn't otherwise press it. "We talked over… um… 'some' sake. Hit it off. We ended up in a hotel room and we kind of… slept together." She rubbed her forearm nervously. "I asked him if we could meet again, and he told me to drop by his apartment whenever. We… slept together a few more times, and then, we sort of just… decided to start going on."

"I see." Jiraiya said. "Does he treat you right?"

"He treats me well enough." Naruko said, deciding _not_ to mention what had happened in the hospital room.

"Is he an asshole? You know that I just can't _stand_ assholes." Jiraiya said. A pause. "Well… you know what I mean."

Naruko smiled. "He's an asshole…" she murmured. "But he's _my_ asshole."

Jiraiya heaved a sigh. "Excellent. The first of my students ends up with some redheaded firecracker ("Hey!" Naruko said. "What's wrong with my kaa-san?"), and now the second one ends up with an Uchiha asshole." He shook his head slightly. "Whatever. Maybe third time's the charm? I've always wanted to have a student with the sharingan…" he said almost hopefully.

"Not in your dreams, Ero-sennin!" Naruko said, punching his arm. "If you even go _near_ my daughter, I'll-"

"What do you think Minato said when you were born?" Jiraiya said, grinning at her. "And look at you now. Telling your dear godfather all about your boyfriend before Minato or Kushina even know about him."

"Well… kaa-san knows." Naruko said. "But she doesn't know I've slept with him." She added.

"Ah, I see." Jiraiya said. "Welp, I've got some information to pass off to Minato, A.S.A.P." He clapped Naruko on the shoulder. "Now- let me tell you this. I have no problems with you having a boyfriend. But… I _swear_ to the Hokages that if I catch you two…" He drifted off, but it was obvious what he meant.

"I can't make any promises." Naruko said, smiling.

"Of course you can't." Jiraiya murmured. "Kami, I can see it now. Me, the great Jiraiya, being forced to subject my eyes to the horror of my little goddaughter finally becoming a woman…" He wiped away an imaginary tear. "But… you already are a woman!" He said, heaving an obnoxiously fake sob. "Oh, Naruko-chan, come here-!" He stood up, approaching her, his arms outstretched.

"No-!" Naruko cried out, attempting to scamper out of her chair.

She was too slow. He pulled her into a tight bear hug, so tight that no matter how much she kicked and struggled she was unable to break free.

"My little Naruko-chan…!" Jiraiya said. "All grown up!" He was grinning.

"Argh… Ero-sennin…!" Naruko whined. "Let me go!"

"Oh, alright." Jiraiya said. He unlatched himself from her, Naruko breathing easy once more.

"Go give tou-san your stupid information about your stupid little 'secret' club." Naruko said, kicking him in the leg.

"I will." Jiraiya said. He flashed her a grin. "I have to say, gaki-" Jiraiya said, ruffling Naruko's hair. "I missed you."

She batted his hand away, scowling. But, a smile soon bloomed on her face. "I missed you too, Ero-sennin." Naruko said.

* * *

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Reading was so _boring_ , Naruko thought, rubbing her eyes. She blinked, hardly aware of the tapping on her window, instead trying to force herself to become engrossed into the jutsu scroll she was reading.

' _Fuuton is a very powerful affinity, but it does come with drawbacks. It's notoriously easy to accidentally wound a comrade with a Fuuton ability, and many of the jutsus that harness the power of wind can inadvertently hurt the user themselves-'_

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

"This is no use!" Naruko whined, tossing the book off the bed without further ado, cringing as it thumped rather loudly on the floor. She fell back onto her mattress, staring up at the ceiling, her blue eyes misty. What was she supposed to do? She didn't want to go to Ichiraku's - for perhaps the first, and last time in her life. She didn't know anywhere else to go. She couldn't go to Sasuke's. She didn't want to go downstairs, with her mother out with friends, her father at work, and her godfather kami knows where… what was she supposed to do?

"For fuck's sake, open the window, Naruko!"

She sat up in a flash, looking around for a moment as if she had imagined the voice. Her eyes widened, as she stared at the window - where, unmistakably, the shadowy figure of none other than Uchiha Sasuke sat, perched on her windowsill.

Naruko eased herself off the bed - not caring that Sasuke could see her froggy pajamas in all their glory. She stopped just before the window. "No!" she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "I'm not just some booty call whenever you get horny, Sasuke…!" Naruko said. "I'm not letting you in unt-"

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said, his voice barely audible through the glass.

Naruko stared at him. Flummoxed. And then, without further word, she unlocked the window, opening it up so that the separation between her and Sasuke was gone. "I- I'm sorry." she said. "Could you repeat that? I didn't quite hear you." She grinned.

Sasuke sighed. "I'm not saying it again." he said firmly.

"Oh… alright." Naruko said. "I suppose you can have fun masturbating for the rest of your life then," she said. "Who knows who I'll go out with next? Hey, I hear-"

Sasuke sighed once more. "I'm sorry." he said again, this time louder.

Naruko grinned. "Alright…" she conceded. "Come in, you big teme." Naruko made sure to add. Sasuke clambered in through the window, dropping into her room without further ado.

"Nice place." Sasuke said, not batting an eyelid at the interior. Orange walls. Orange pillows. Green covers… a collection of stuffed frogs on a table in a corner of the room. Not surprising in the slightest, if he was to be completely honest with himself. Maybe even a little… cute. Her room was almost childish. Adorable even, though he refused to _ever_ tell Naruko - or anyone - that outloud.

"Thanks!' Naruko exclaimed, flopping onto the bed. "So… _was_ this just a booty call?" she asked. "'cuz, I'm fine with that and all, but it'd be cool if you just came to talk." Naruko said.

"I wanted- _need_ to tell you something." Sasuke clarified. "You mind if I sit down on your bed?" he asked.

"Not at all," Naruko said, grinning.

He sat down. The bed was plushy, of a very high quality - although he would expect nothing less from the daughter of the Hokage.

"I… want to tell you what happened." Sasuke said. "You know… after I used the summoning jutsu and disappeared. I want to tell you _exactly_ what happened. Okay?"

"Okay." Naruko murmured.

He told her the story, in as much excruciating detail as possible. How helpless he had felt, kneeling before what he had to guess was the queen of all snakes. How he had been unconscious for several days, his body fighting off the poison that would decide his death or initiation as a partner of the snakes.

Naruko was silent the whole time. Occasionally, she bit her lip to stifle a gasp, especially when he had told her when the snake had sunk its fangs into his neck. It went on. How he had signed his name… in his own blood… on the summoning contract. How weak he had been, his body having been thoroughly tested by the poison. How he was, now, bound to the snakes forever.

Finally, he was done.

"... I'm a snake summoner now." Sasuke finished, dragging back the collar of his shirt and showering her the two bite marks in his neck - they were faint now, but still visible. He was silent for a minute. "What- what do you think…?"

Naruko blinked. "You can summon snakes?" she blurted. "That's awesome!"

Sasuke was taken aback. "W-what?" he said. "You mean… you're not… freaked out? Repulsed?"

"Why the hell would I be repulsed?" Naruko exclaimed. "Snakes are awesome! Well… a little slimy, I guess. Ero-sennin really hates them for some reason, but if I had to choose something to have as a pet _other_ than a frog, it'd be a snake! They're just so flippin' cool, you know?"

Sasuke stared at her. "Really…?" he asked. "You do know what… what snakes are?"

"What, like some kind of 'bad omen'? Naruko said. "Please! My tou-san told me the Hyuga were a 'bad omen' when they joined Konoha, that their white eyes would bring a curse to the village or whatever. Does the village look 'cursed' to you?"

"No…" Sasuke said.

"Exactly! And why the hell would I be _repulsed_ by you?" Naruko said, poking him in the shoulder. "You're a hottie, Sasuke! You could skip three days of showering, and I'd probably still want to jump your bones."

"I see." Sasuke said, hanging his head.

Naruko's eyes widened ever so slightly. The tension in his shoulders wasn't quite as profound - but he still seemed… troubled. She realized something. Maybe, even if _she_ was alright with his little snake problem, that didn't mean everyone else was. And… having to grow up all your life, being told that snake summoners were evil, and then _becoming_ one yourself? Naruko couldn't even imagine what that must feel.

Well… actually, she could.

A lightbulb appeared above her head. Not literally, but you get the idea.

"Sasuke," she said, her voice shaky and resolute at the same time - a strange combination. "There's something I want to show you."

"What is it?" Sasuke said, his voice a monotone.

Naruko smiled. Gently, she pulled up her pajama top, revealing her smooth, thin midriff. It was a very nice stomach admittedly, Sasuke thought, but what did it have to do with anything?

He felt her chakra spike ever so slightly. And then… ink began to rise from her flesh. It was black, as black as his eyes - forming lines, circles, arcane runes, swirling and swirling until what was quite obviously a seal was formed on her stomach.

Naruko reached her hand forward, grasping his wrist and gently placing his fingers on her stomach. "Do you know what's in here, Sasuke?" she murmured.

He shook his head.

"The Kyuubi."

…

…

Sasuke was silent.

"On the day I was born… it broke out." Naruko said. "October tenth. My kaa-san managed to hold it down, after it'd destroyed a quarter of our village. But she was weak. The shock of jamming the Kyuubi back into her had the potential to kill her, or so, the Sandaime thought. So, he made a decision. He sealed it into me, costing him his own life in the process. My father had been fighting the man who had unleashed the Kyuubi on the village… and when he saw the seal on my stomach, he had known what had happened."

"It was a village secret. No one knows about it - aside from my father, my mother, my godfather and a select few jounin who can be trusted with it." Her voice grew rather shaky. "My… tou-san told me about the Kyuubi when I was twelve. That I was born with a curse… that whenever I grew too angry, too scared, whenever I was fighting for my very life… the Kyuubi could threaten to come out."

"I don't even want to imagine what the village would think if they knew what was inside of me. Most of them think the Kyuubi died. But… no. It's here. Sealed away. If they knew… they'd probably hate me. Knowing that _I'm_ the one who holds the beast that killed so many of their loved ones…"

Her eyes grew watery, and she blinked many times in order to prevent herself from crying in front of Sasuke. "I- I don't want you to feel alone." Naruko said. "You- you aren't the only one with baggage, Sasuke." she murmured. "Maybe mine is worse… maybe yours is worse… but, you aren't alone. _You aren't alone._ "

She was echoing Shisui's words from earlier. But coming from her lips, they rang clearer in Sasuke's ears than they had coming from his cousin. He wasn't alone. Being a snake summoner… maybe… maybe it was a curse. But- but he was an _Uchiha_. Uchihas didn't bow to curses! They tamed them, they made them their own, they turned that curse into an asset that could be used against the clan's enemies.

Naruko rubbed her eyes with her forearm. "I understand… if you don't want to be with me anymore." she mumbled. "Knowing that I'm a jinchuuriki and all. The- the window's right there, so just-"

"Shut the fuck up." Sasuke growled.

She blinked.

"You think I'd leave you just because some old geezer decided to stuff a fucking fox inside of you?" Sasuke snapped. "You must be stupider than I thought, Naruko." He chuckled. "Please. Pl- _fucking_ -ease. What? Is the fox going to come out and savage me, when it hasn't done anything in the past nearly two decades? Does the fox somehow change you? No, it doesn't. So, shut the fuck up. If you can accept me for what I am - then I can most certainly fucking accept you for who you are."

She stared at him. Completely, and utterly dumbfounded.

He was hot. He was funny. He was an asshole - but he usually spared his assholeness for other people, unless it was in jest. He _more_ than sated her needs. And on top of that, he was more than accepting of her deepest, and darkest secret - no, accepting wasn't the proper word for it. He didn't even fucking _care_ about the Kyuubi, he hadn't even given any thought about leaving her. Had she found the perfect man? Was she the luckiest woman in the world, stumbling upon this stud on accident in the middle of a bar?

She grinned from ear to ear, so brightly that it was like the sun shining down at him. They had made up. They hadn't split up. Both of them, had spilled some dark dark secrets in the past little while. Naruko thought that they could use a little… loosening up, to make sure they were both fine.

And, as was customary, she proceeded to go about it in the least subtle way possible.

"For the love of kami," Naruko growled. "Just rip off my clothes and fucking _do_ me, Sasuke…!"

Sasuke grinned, a feral look in his eye. "With pleasure." he said, his voice dripping with promise. And then, he leapt forward - slamming his lips against hers, pressing her soft body against his hard one. They fell into each other on the bed, rolling around on the mattress, tossing the covers about as they made out with each other, not resurfacing for the better part of two minutes.

Their clothes found themselves being flung across the room. Naruko's bra hung loosely from her door handle. Sasuke's boxers finding themselves on top of a lamp. The rest thrown on the floor in an irregular pattern, not that the two lovers on the bed gave a damn about where their clothes had ended up, so long as they _weren't_ on the other person.

Naked. Like the horny savages they were, they merely took in the other's body for a moment - Sasuke's dark eyes running over Naruko's pert breasts and slim stomach, Naruko's bright blue eyes devouring Sasuke's chiseled chest and muscled biceps.

' _Fuck, she's perfect.'_ Sasuke thought.

' _Kami, he's perfect.'_ Naruko thought.

"Foreplay?" Sasuke asked.

Naruko grinned. "Who do you think you're talking to?" she said.

"Ah." Sasuke tilted his head to the side. "Should I go find a dictionary for you or…?"

She socked him in the shoulder. "Don't be such a teme, teme." Naruko said. "Just shove it inside of-" He shoved it inside of her, and she bit back her words with a yelp. "A little warning next time…!" Naruko muttered, her voice slightly strained - Sasuke was pretty big after all, and it had been a few days since they'd last had sex.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you want me to put a bandaid on it and kiss it?"

"No!" Naruko growled. "I want you to fuck the shit out of me!"

He chuckled. Slowly, he began to pump in and out of the beautiful blonde, unable to help the groan that escaped his mouth as he sunk balls deep inside of her again. What a wondrous feeling - how had he forgotten it? She was so wet and warm… and tight, tighter than any other woman he'd experienced before her.

Sasuke dipped his head down, content with the steady pace he had set. Instead, he resolved to play with her bountiful breasts - taking one of her nipples into his mouth and suckling at it, while one of his hands played with the other one, pinching and teasing it. Naruko mewled at his touch, a grin on her face. Her legs wound tight around his waist - preventing him from pulling out or retracting from her… if he had even wanted to.

She had missed the familiar feeling, of his warmth inside of her - his length pressing in and out of her, scraping along her walls, sending shivers of pleasure up and down her spine. His skilled mouth and hands working at her breasts, kneading them like dough, turning her into a puddle of mush before his very eyes. She moaned freely - knowing that they would only spur him on, safe in the knowledge that only _she_ could get Sasuke worked up like this, that only _she_ could get Sasuke horny to the point of apologizing not once, but _twice_.

"Just like that, baby." Naruko whispered, looping her arms around his torso, linking them around the back. "Oh… right there." she murmured. "Fuck, that's good. So deep - so- oh…"

Clearly, their mini-hiatus hadn't dulled his considerable skills beneath the sheets. If anything, they had sharpened him - turned him into a weapon that was programed to try and extract as much pleasure from her as possible. And it was _working_ , flawlessly at that.

Sasuke retracted his mouth from her nipples, a thin string of saliva connecting his lip to the point on her breast. "Hey, Naruko…" he murmured, not halting in his thrusts for a moment. "A question - do you think the Kyuubi can see… and _hear_ us fucking?"

Naruko grinned. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe if you were a little harder, a little faster… he might."

"Oh, the _Kyuubi_ wants it harder and faster, hmm?" Sasuke said. His pace was still the exact same - it was pleasurable, sure, but Naruko really loved it when he let loose, when he pummeled her with that cock of his and turned her insides to mush. "How… convenient." he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Naruko asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," Sasuke said, a smirk on his face. He angled his thrusts slightly. So close. She could feel him quite literally _brushing_ against her G-spot, but not quite hitting it… the realization that he was doing that on purpose quickly hit her.

Naruko groaned. "Fine," she said. "Harder, _please_?" Naruko asked. "Faster, _please_?"

"That's better." Sasuke said. "Ask and you shall receive."

And receive she most certainly did. After that, there was no words. Sasuke readjusted his position, looping his arms around her neck, using the way her legs and her own arms were wrapped around him as a way to give himself that angle, that exact position he remembered would drive her crazy.

Without further ado, he began to slam into her. His balls slapped against her thighs. The bed springs squeaked loudly beneath them - the headboard gently rocking against the wall. Both of them were moaning, whispering each other's names - that is, if they weren't kissing, their lips locked, tongues dueling for dominance and neither of the lovers willing to give an inch.

There!

Naruko let out a piercing moan. Finally, Sasuke thought, grinning. There it was. That spot. Now that he knew its location, he focused his thrusts, pummelling that specific area relentlessly. Naruko moaned and groaned, her body shaking against him, the blonde helplessly bucking her hips back against him.

"Just like that-!" Her voice sounded almost drunk - on pleasure. "Like that, fuck, don't stop, Sasuke…" Not that she needed to ask - Sasuke wasn't going to stop, _refused_ to stop, until… well, let's just say, Sasuke had no intentions of unsheathing himself from Naruko's hot and wet cunt until he had stuffed his load into it. That was a promise.

Three more thrusts was all it took - and with a moan that dragged on for what seemed to be minutes, Naruko came. It wasn't one of those orgasms that sent electricity through her body, causing her limbs to flail - no, it was one of those ones that caused her to shut down, to go limp, to cling on for dear life to her lover's body as he continued to pummel her sensitive pussy, to drive his cock home into her again and again without relent, without pause, without mercy.

"I-" Sasuke began. "Am going to cum inside of you." He said it forcefully, as he continued to pound her, his hot breath fanning out against her ear. "If you have any objections… _Na-ru-ko_ ," He sounded out each syllable in a way that sent shivers down her spine. "Then raise them now."

His grin only widened as the only sound she continued to make was her ragged moans.

What was Naruko supposed to say? No? As if!

Now, she wasn't one of those girls who screamed - 'Oh, cum inside of me, I love your cum in my womb!' or something like that… but seriously, she _loved_ it when Sasuke came inside of her. It felt so intimate. She felt so close to him - as if they were sharing something when he deposited his seed inside of her. In that moment, she knew, that he was hers and she was his. A romantic side, she thought, to an act that was normally rather filthy. At least, filthy like when she read it in her godfather's novels, whenever he asked her to proofread it. Whenever she did it with Sasuke… it was a completely different experience.

She knew it was coming, as his thrusts grew faster and faster, harder and harder, his hips a blur - his groans low and fast. She could feel his member pulsating inside of her, so hard that she was sure it could put a dent in a steel wall.

And then he came. His thrusts slowed to a crawl, Sasuke gently pressing his hips back and forth as he- to put it as plainly as possible - blew his load deep, _deep_ inside of her. His warmth, spreading within her. So good. She shivered against him, moaning haggardly, loving the feeling of his seed seeping past her cervix and slipping into her womb.

"You're amazing…" Naruko murmured, her fingers gently trailing down his back.

Sasuke felt loose all over. He felt _great_ , better than he had… well, better than he had ever since he'd gone into that damn snake cave. "Don't sell yourself short." he mumbled. He made to pull out - but Naruko's grip on him was iron clad.

"Not just yet," she said quickly, her cheeks dusting a light pink, Naruko pointedly avoiding his gaze. "I- I want to feel you inside of me a bit longer." He was still hard after all. They could go another round… but, really, both of them were content with just going to sleep.

But… they couldn't.

"I have to go, Naruko." Sasuke murmured. "If your dad or mom finds me here…" He could imagine it now. The Hokage, stepping into the room - sweeping the covers off of them, seeing them both naked, his seed leaking down his daughter's thigh… and then, he could see in rather vivid detail, his murder at the Yondaime's hand, Naruko screaming at the sight.

"Yeah…" Naruko murmured. "I know."

A pause.

"We're… good. Right?" he said.

"More than good." Naruko said, rubbing her cheek against his. "We're great."

"Great." Sasuke said. "Can I pull out yet?"

"Not yet…"

"Naruko…" Sasuke murmured.

"What? You disappear for a couple of days… spend the next couple in the hospital, and you think I just wanna let you go?" Naruko said. "Momma needs her sugar, teme." she said, pinching his cheek.

"Fine." Sasuke said, sighing. "But… next time, _I_ get to pick the position, no matter what." He was thinking reverse cowgirl - the sight of watching Naruko's firm and plump ass descending on his cock was sure to be a lovely one indeed.

"We'll see," Naruko said. "'slong as you're not trying to get me to do anything freaky."

"Me? Freaky?" Sasuke said.

"Hmm… I guess that whole 'snake summoner' thing went over my head." she mumbled.

Sasuke smirked. "I don't know," he said. "I think having a gigantic fox locked away inside of you might be a tad more… 'freaky' then that."

"Maybe." Naruko said, with a giggle. "Alright, you can get going now, Sasuke."

Finally, he pulled out - Naruko already missing the feeling of fullness she got from him inside of her, and Sasuke missing the feel of her warm and wet insides. He used the sheets to wipe his cock clean of her juices (earning himself a glare from Naruko), before hunting around the room for his clothes. It took him five minutes, but eventually, he found them.

He made to climb back out the window - but Naruko cleared her throat.

"Just remember Sasuke," she said, her voice oddly light. "You tell me to, umm, what was it, 'get the fuck out' again - and threesomes are _forever_ off the table."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell would we have a threesome with?"

She flashed him a smirk. "Kage Bunshin is a wonderful technique, don't you think?"

His mouth went dry. Two Narukos. Two pairs of wonderful, perfectly rounded breasts. Two pairs of incredibly, unfathomably tight pussies. Two pairs, two of _everything._

"Point taken." Sasuke said.

"Good." Naruko said, grinning. She eased herself off the bed, shivering as his essence began to leak down her thigh. "Bye." Naruko said, giving him a deep kiss on the lips.

Sasuke found himself smiling. "Bye." he said.

He gave her one last look - before clambering out of the window once more, and disappearing into the night.

* * *

 **Don't forget to leave a review telling me what you think - I read each and every one regardless of the context, regardless of how long or short they may be. Although one word reviews can get on my nerves, :3. Thanks for reading. And as always, have a terrific day.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I can explain. Honest. Let's just say… a lot of things happened. Between class starting back up again, a few personal family problems, and a** _ **lot**_ **of other crap, a little over a month after I posted the last chapter of A Wild Night, the next one is ready. And there's more! I went back and rewrote the first two chapters of this story as well. Both of which had more banter, more Sasu/Fem. Naru, and I think are much better than the originals. Check them out whenever you can, :)**

 **On a side note, if the current reviews per chapter keeps steady, I'll hit a hundred reviews with this chapter. Be sure to leave one to help me get closer to that** _ **awesome**_ **mark.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Rekindling his relationship with Naruko, Sasuke thought, surely had to be one of the best decisions he'd ever made. Then again… had they _really_ broken up? He still wasn't sure. Of course, she had been mad at him - snapping at her, regardless of his mental state, wasn't an acceptable thing to do, and that was something he realized. But, mad enough to separate, so soon after they had even started dating? Again, he still wasn't sure.

Then again, it didn't really matter. They were together again now. That sinking feeling in his gut, which had persisted from the moment she had stormed out of the hospital room to the instant they had kissed, was gone now. He felt… _happy_.

After a long night of lovemaking, he had departed from her room, slinking back through the dark of night to his apartment. He had taken a nice, long, hot shower. And then, Sasuke had flopped into bed, exhausted after the many rounds (and immeasurable pleasure) Naruko had put him through.

Typically, he had awoken to the smell of… _something burning_.

Sasuke shot up, like a bat out of the ray of a flashlight. Clad in a mere pair of boxers, he threw open the door to his bedroom-

-and raced into the heart of his apartment to discover Naruko feverishly attempting to put a fire she had somehow started on his stove. Sasuke was perplexed for a moment. But, he strode forward, yanked open a cabinet, pulled out a fire extinguisher and sprayed it over the flames. Once they were gone, he hastily replaced the extinguisher back in its cabinet.

He turned to her. "What… what were you trying to do?" he asked, his face still scrunched up from the acrid smoke filling his nostrils.

Naruko felt a flush creep up her neck. "Uh… trying… trying to make you breakfast?" she muttered, refusing to meet his gaze. Her hands were clasped together, the blonde nervously fiddling with her thumbs.

Sasuke sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with an irritated expression. "Never, _ever_ try to cook again." he told her seriously.

"Hey!" Naruko protested. "I can cook!"

Sasuke didn't even need to say anything. He merely gestured to the still softly smoking wreckage of one of his pots (it seemed as if she had been trying to make ramen). Naruko drifted off, muttering something incoherent under her breath.

Another sigh. "Let me… let me dressed." Sasuke muttered, deciding to take pity on the loveable idiot that he called his girlfriend. "We can go to Ichiraku's."

Naruko immediately bounced up, as if a hundred thousand volts had coursed through her all at once. "Yay!" she cheered, leaning forward and pressing a wet and sloppy kiss to his cheek. "Best boyfriend ever!"

"Yeah, yeah." Sasuke said, waving her off. As he stalked back to his room, to change into something proper, Naruko decided to do a bit of cleaning. Not of his house - heavens no, but at the very least, she could clear away the damage she had done in her ill fated attempt at cooking. A hole had been burned straight through the pot she had attempted to use, the insides charred, the water inside having boiled and evaporated. Naruko blanched, had she really done _that_ bad of a job?

By the time Sasuke came back into the kitchen, swathed in his usual clothes of blue and black, the mess was clean. The place still reeked of smoke, though, so Sasuke opened a window to let the place air out.

They glanced at each other. And then, the two henged - Sasuke's hair turning a light turquoise, his face softening, his eyes fading from black to a piercing brown. Naruko's whiskers flat out disappeared, her tanned skin growing paler, blue eyes turning to emerald and blonde hair shortening and changing into a brown bob cut.

Sasuke offered her a small smile. Naruko grinned up at him. And then, she grabbed his hand - pulling him to and then out of the door. Pausing for just a moment, so that he could lock it behind them, the henged couple swiftly made their way out of the apartment complex. It was nice, Sasuke had to admit, not having to… hide. Well, they were hidden - but he could smile at his girlfriend without growing wary of other's opinions, and Naruko could hardly contain her excitement about being able to kiss and hold hands with him so long as she wasn't vigorous enough to dispel his henge. Not that Sasuke was complaining.

Of course, they had to have 'code' names, when they were out in public like this. So, on the way down the stairs, they came up with simple ones - Hikari for Naruko, and Haru for Sasuke. And so, hand in hand, they walked out onto the street. They couldn't take to the rooftops and risk blowing their cover, so instead they chose to walk through the streets. It was peaceful. The vibrant heart of Konoha bustled around them, kind people offering them greetings as they walked past, vendors shouting out prices that seemed to grow lower and lower as they attempted to outdo their competition.

Funnily enough, they passed by at least half a dozen ramen shops on their stroll through the village - all packed with people. Not that Naruko even thought to stop, not even casting them a glance. Despite the (relatively) short time he had known her, Sasuke knew that the _only_ ramen shop Naruko would even consider going in was Ichiraku's. It was just so close to her heart, so dear, the people who run it having practically become family to the blonde girl.

They stepped inside of the shop. It was small, warm, and yet… empty. Ichiraku's was in a fairly run down section of town, and it wasn't a big chain like some of the others - resulting in slightly higher prices, and marginally worse accommodations, even if the ramen itself was top notch. It was mostly empty, aside from a woman who was turning away from the counter, striding past the disguised couple with a takeout tub of ramen clutched beneath her arm.

However, when she was gone, the shop was empty. Ayame looked up from the counter - and a warm, welcoming smile spread across her face. It was clear to both Naruko and Sasuke that they had been made. Perhaps it was Naruko's infectious grin, or the way she seemed to be positively teeming with energy at the prospect of ramen, but Ayame could see her for who she was immediately, despite the henge she wore.

"Naruko!" Ayame greeted. Naruko giggled (Sasuke looked a little disturbed at the sight of her doing something so feminine.).

"Ayame-nee!" Naruko cried, throwing herself back and sliding into a stool as if it were an old friend. "You know what I want, right?"

"You've been ordering the same thing for as long as I can remember." Ayame said, grinning as well. Brown eyes focused on Sasuke's… well, not _his_ form, but the form he had chosen to henge into. "And who is this?" she asked.

Naruko beamed, her smile spreading from ear to ear. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked.

"Hmm…" Ayame said, tapping a finger against her chin as if she had to think about it. "Of course!" Ayame said. "Is he-?"

She didn't get a chance to finish, for Naruko promptly blurted- "He's my boyfriend!" in a whispered voice.

Ayame's grin widened even further. "My little Naruko-chan!" she said, throwing herself across the counter, pulling the still disguised blonde into a warm hug. "Aww... he's good to you, right? Does he treat you okay? You're happy?"

"Of course I am!" Naruko said. "I know you want to activate 'mother hen' mode and all, Ayame-nee, but we're starving…!"

Ayame flushed slightly. "Fine," she said, forced to tighten the apron she wore, which had been slightly ruined by the ferocity of her hugging Naruko. "But-!" She rounded on Sasuke, who was still standing near the entrance. "If I hear that you're mistreating her, you'll have _me_ to answer to, mister!"

"I'll… keep that in mind." Sasuke said. _'Another insane protector.'_ Sasuke thought glumly. _'Between her father, her mom, and everyone else in this damn village, I'll be dead by the end of the year.'_

Oh well. This was what he had signed up for, and he'd done it willingly.

He sat down in the stool beside Naruko. "I'll take a bowl of miso ramen." Sasuke said, after giving the menu a proper examination for a few moments.

"Coming right up!" Ayame chirped. She turned, disappearing into the back - her father visible in the foreground, working over a pot that was churning with boiling water. Daughter and father talked adamantly for a moment, before the man turned out, flashing a bright grin in the disguised Naruko's direction before returning to his work.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile at the sight of Naruko looking so… for lack of a better word, over excited. She was practically bouncing up and down in her seat, clutching the side of the counter, clearly more than eager for a warm bowl of the ramen she so dearly craved.

"So," he said, startling her - obviously, she had almost forgotten he was there in her near fanatical obsession over obtaining her ramen. "Do you want to go train after this?"

"Sure!" Naruko said, beaming at him. "What do you want to do, then?"

"Hmm… I was thinking some taijutsu training would be good." Sasuke said.

"Sounds alright to me." Naruko said, swinging her legs beneath her in an almost childlike manner. "Can you teach me that cool fireball jutsu afterwards at least? I still really, _really_ wanna try and learn that!"

Sasuke sighed, although he was still smiling. "You're a wind type, Naruko." he said. "It would take you _years_ to learn even that jutsu."

She pouted. "So totally _not_ fair." Naruko said. "How come you get all the cool jutsus, while I get these stupid gusts of wind and a stupid ball of chakra?"

"I don't think 'coolness' determines how good it is." Sasuke said. "I saw your father use his _rasengan_ once, and it was ridiculously powerful. You keep getting stronger, and stronger, and your rasengan will be even stronger than my chidori."

"You think so?"

"Maybe." Sasuke smirked. "Of course, I could just… side step out of the way."

"No way!" Naruko exclaimed. "If I'm coming at you with my rasengan, I know that I'm going to hit that smug face of yours." she said, grinning.

"We'll have to see about that." Sasuke said.

There wasn't much time for talking after that, because before long, steaming bowls of ramen were plopped down in front of them. Well, one bowl for Sasuke - and about a half dozen for Naruko. By the time Sasuke had gotten done with his single bowl, Naruko had wolfed down four of them.

Sasuke watched as Naruko swiftly finished the last two. _'I… would hate to have to live with her.'_ he admitted internally. _'All of the cleaning up… if we ever move in together, she'd better use those clones of hers to get rid of the messes she's going to make.'_

Huh. Living with Naruko… seeing her warm smile every morning, waking up to the feeling of her soft body pressed against his, her scent filling his nose…

"Alright!" Naruko said, hopping off of the stool, and unintentionally breaking Sasuke from his stupor. "You ready?" she said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah…" he muttered, standing up, willing back the flush that had been steadily creeping up his neck. He glanced at the prices on the menu, before pulling out a few bills from a pocket and slapping them onto the counter.

They strolled out of Ichiraku's, still in disguise, although Naruko's shirt was flecked with bits of ramen that she idly flicked off as they walked. Out of the urban center, through the rural outskirts, deep into the forests that were a buffer between the village and the vast wall that surrounded it… until finally, they arrived at their usual training ground.

The henges were dispelled, and Sasuke could honestly said that his heart leapt when her big blue eyes and blonde hair came into existence again. She was flushing slightly, soaking in his dark eyes and his even darker hair with a shameless grin on her face.

"Having to henge sucks," Naruko said.

Sasuke smirked. "Yeah," he said. "It does."

They stared at each other for a moment, carefully sizing each other up. And then, as if they had agreed on it prior, they sprang at each other. Fists cocked, blue and black eyes blazing, they clashed. It was a feverish battle, hands and legs flying freely, the two weaving in and out of attack and defense like the skilled shinobi they were.

Naruko, Sasuke had come to realize, was a little… lax, on her taijutsu skills. She was fast, surely. She was fluid. But there was no order to her attacks, no carefully thought out plans. She didn't go for his leg in an attempt to hamper his movements, she went for his leg just to go for his leg. One of her roundhouse kicks was designed to look more cool than anything - and the way she would lose her focus for several seconds whenever he caught her off guard told him the whole story.

She had never told him _who_ had trained her, aside from a few vague statements about his perverseness. Sasuke doubted that would be her father, or mother… Kakashi? No, he was far too busy with missions and such to be training someone other than the team he already had. Hmm. Whoever it was clearly had an unhealthy reliance on something else for taijutsu - a sword, a jutsu, something that made it so the 'classic' hand to hand style he had taught Naruko was lacking.

Even still, her speed made up for a lot of it. Without his sharingan, Sasuke could barely keep up with her - feeling a little exposed without his sword - forced onto the defensive numerous times as Naruko swung her arms and legs at him in a series of acrobatic maneuvers that would have put a gymnast to shame.

But, like he had realized earlier, she left herself vulnerable in some of the most inopportune moments. Sasuke saw these openings, even without his sharingan, the way her stomach was opened up for a vicious punch that would leave her wheezing, or how her hands would shift to protect her ribcage but leave her legs open to a swipe from one of his own that would knock her to the ground.

' _Something we'll have to work on,'_ he thought.

Sasuke was well aware that he had his faults as well, especially in the way he was prone to being caught by sudden and unpredictable attacks. But years of training with Kakashi, and sometimes with Itachi or Shisui had ironed those flaws out. Naruko, however, was a good deal self taught - the fact that she was this skilled on her own merits showed a lot as to how much potential she had.

After about an hour, Sasuke called it off. Naruko appeared mostly fresh, though her hair and face was damp with sweat, and at some point she had tossed off the orange and black shirt she wore. Sasuke was uncomfortably aware of the way the fishnet undershirt she wore beneath that clung to her curves.

"Ninjutsu?" he suggested.

"Sure!"

Of course, she begged, and begged, and begged, and _begged_ , until he finally agreed to show her how to do the Fire Ball jutsu.

"Follow after me." Sasuke said, and Naruko adopted a look of concentration, staring intently at his hands. He went through the seals, as slow as he could manage, making sure to clearly say the name of each one as he flowed between them. "Tiger. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger." A pause. "Got it?"

"Uh… show it again." she said.

He did it again.

"Again!"

Sasuke sighed.

It took about half an hour for her to learn the seals, and another ten minutes for her to stop forgetting the Boar seal in the middle. By the end-

Her fingers went through the seals at a steady pace. _'Katon: Great Fireball Jutsu!'_ Naruko thought, clasping her hand around her lips, and spitting out… a spark, and a tiny cloud of smoke that disappeared with the wind.

"Aww…" Naruko said, deflated.

Sasuke patted her reassuringly on the back. "Like I said," he murmured. "Wind types can't really learn fire style. It'll take a _long_ time before you can get anything more than that."

That didn't stop her from trying though. So while Sasuke experimented with different variations of his already potent Chidori, Naruko was fruitlessly attempting to do the Fireball, over and over again, growing gradually more and more frustrated as her hard work bore no results.

In the end, even her, with her endless stamina (provided somewhat by the Kyuubi, Sasuke knew now), she was tired.

They rested.

His back against the bark of a tree, his legs spread out in front of him. Naruko was draped across his lap, her blonde hair sweat soaked, taken out of their typical pig tails and instead resting in a great, yellow mane that was spread around her frame.

Sasuke really couldn't help himself. He merely… soaked in the sight of her. The curves that he so enjoyed delighting in. The way her chest would slowly rise up and down. The cute way she would scrunch up her nose when a nearby bird would chirp. He reached a hand forward, brushing a curl of blonde hair off of her face, so that he could better gaze at it.

"... Sasuke…?" she mumbled, after at least twenty minutes of complete and absolute silence.

"Yeah?"

Cerulean blue eyes opened. They would have reflected the sky, had they not been the same shimmering color. "Do you ever think about what it would be like if… if… we didn't have to sneak around?" Naruko mumbled. "If we could just date, like normal people, no dad to worry about, no village to hide from."

Sasuke sighed. "Sometimes," he admitted begrudgingly. "But, I don't dwell on it. There's no point in thinking about things that can't happen." Sasuke said.

"Yeah…" Naruko mumbled. "I was just thinkin', that's all…"

A soft smirk curled his lips. "Don't think," Sasuke said, poking her forehead teasingly. "You definitely aren't suited for it."

Naruko pouted. "I'm too tired to deal with your crap, 'suke." she groaned. She picked her head up, her eyes drooping slightly and yet her gaze still easily finding Sasuke's. "Just because I took you back doesn't mean you get to be a jerk again."

"Took me back, huh?" Sasuke said. "Don't act like _you_ were reluctant to have me in your room…" He leaned down. "Then again, I was _inside_ other things last night, wasn't I?"

Naruko was perplexed for a moment. Then, it sort of 'clicked' in her head, and a flush the same color as Sakura's hair spread across her face. "I'm surrounded by perverts!" she whined, cupping her face, while Sasuke chuckled.

She sat up, shaking her hair out of her eyes. A cute little yawn escaped her lips, and she stretched - raising her arms over her head and bending her back so that the fishnet shirt rode up, exposing her slim midriff.

"You know," Naruko mumbled. "I wouldn't really mind if you _were_ a pervert, Sasuke…"

He smirked. "What do you mean by that?" Sasuke asked.

She grinned. And then, without warning or asking (as if she needed to ask), she picked herself up, and slid soundly into his lap. Naruko leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together, her chest rubbing against his. "I dunno…" she said innocently. "I mean, if _every_ night was a repeat of last night, I think I could stand having another ero-sennin around."

Sasuke laughed - actually _laughed_ \- at that. Naruko loved the sound of it, her boyfriend looking so, _so_ much more beautiful than he normally did, when his face finally broke free from its stoicism and allowed emotions other than anger and apathy to pass through the mask of his.

"I think if one of us is perverted around here, it's you." he whispered. He leaned forward, nudging her head to the side and gently nipping at the exposed skin of her throat. "But…" Sasuke whispered, Naruko shuddering as she felt his hot breath fan out against her neck. "I think I can stand being called a pervert for one day at least."

Naruko gripped his chin, tightly. Sasuke was surprised for a moment - but he was less surprised as she tilted his head up, and forced her lips to his. Closer and closer, their bodies rubbing against each other, his arms wrapping around her slim frame protectively, her thighs tightening around him-

And then, rather rudely, someone decided to clear their throat.

Naruko let out a groan, spinning around, intent on beating the _crap_ out of the person who had ruined her alone time with Sasuke before…

Well, before her blue eyes met _very_ violet familiar ones.

"I… thought you two might be… out here together." Uzumaki Kushina muttered, her fingers twitching at her side as if she desired to wrap them around Sasuke's neck. Or around other things, in order to _rip_ them off and prevent him from… from violating her daughter.

"Kaa-san!" Naruko said, her face as red as her mother's hair, the blonde scrambling out of Sasuke's lap and standing up. Sasuke stood as well, a look of distaste on his face, clearly trying to play off a bulge in his pants. "What- uh… what are you doing here? Does tou-san need me?"

Kushina cleared her throat once more. "Well… he doesn't need you." she said. "Sasuke, I'm going to need you to come with me." Kushina said to him. "Naruko, you can't come."

There was a pause.

"Okay." Sasuke said.

"Wait, _what_?" Naruko said. "Why does tou-san need-"

"It's not about… you two." Kushina said, and both Naruko and Sasuke let out a relieved sigh. "But it's important, regardless."

Sasuke exchanged a glance with Naruko. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he murmured.

Naruko groaned. "Fine." she said, blowing a lock of hair out of her eye. "I'm holding you to that, mister."

He smirked. "You got it." Sasuke said.

They shared a lingering kiss (which Kushina looked away from), Sasuke not being too subtle in the way his arms encircled her waist, and Naruko going straight in and grabbing his ass, as if to _prove_ that the hot piece of… well, ass standing in front of her was hers and hers alone.

"See you." Naruko said.

Sasuke nodded. And then, he and Kushina departed - leaping into the trees, and leaving the blonde alone in the clearing. Naruko stared at his back with an unreadable expression on her face, her blue eyes still gazing into the distance long after he had disappeared into the greenery.

* * *

"So," Sasuke began, as he and Kushina flew through the trees. "What's happening?"

" _Shut up._ " Kushina snapped. Sasuke blinked. "I mean- ugh… just… trust me, _you_ do not want to talk to me right now. Seeing you and my little Naruko-chan like that… let's just say, it's best if you and I don't talk. Or I might beat the crap out of you. Actually, I might do that anyways… but, if you don't talk, it's less likely. Know what I mean?"

"No." Sasuke said truthfully. "But I get the point."

"Good." Kushina said, teeth gritted. Her long, crimson hair waved in the wind behind her as they continued on their way through the dense wood. She set the pace, and Sasuke kept up with it easily. They had to transition to the ground once they escaped the trees and ended up in the rural outskirts, but once they were back inside the urban center they could use the rooftops instead.

Sasuke was confused as to what was happening. Sure, Kushina had said it wasn't about he and Naruko (his girlfriend having informed him of her mother's discovery of _them_ the previous night), but she could be lying, right? What if it was just a ploy to get him to separate from Naruko? What if he was walking to his death, caused by the crazed, overprotective man she called her father?

' _Stop overreacting.'_ Sasuke told himself. _'The Yondaime isn't going to murder someone for dating their daughter.'_

…

…

He probably should have given Naruko a more proper goodbye…

Regardless, it wasn't as if he could refuse a direct summons. And so, while envisioning ways that he _might_ be brutally murdered in the coming hours, Sasuke trailed behind Kushina as they made their way to the Hokage's tower.

They leapt down from the rooftops, the both of them landing side by side in front of the double doors that lead into the tower. The duo strolled through said doors, Sasuke looking particularly wary while Kushina beamed happily, clearly giddy at the prospect of seeing her husband at work.

The secretary pointed them to a small binder, where the two of the promptly signed themselves in, Sasuke jotting down his signature in neat and ordered handwriting while Kushina's looked more like a tidy(ish) scrawl.

Kushina followed Sasuke's lead, as he lead them up through the tower. There were several office workers that walked past them, most of them giving Kushina an affectionate greeting and Sasuke a respectful nod. Before long, they stood before the door to the Hokage's office. Kushina nudged him to the side, and knocked.

There was a pause, as if they had been talking on the other side and had been interrupted then- "Come in!"

Kushina opened the door, and stepped inside. Sasuke trailed after her, a frown creasing his lips as several familiar faces jumped out at him. Sakura, Kakashi - not to mention the other members of his graduation class, Team Kurenai and Team Asuma, and that went without mentioning Team Gai. All of them stood in a semicircle in front of the Hokage's desk, where Minato looked solemn, his hands folded carefully in front of him, a cool look in his blue eyes.

"Nice of you to join us." Kakashi said, as Sasuke slid into line beside he and Sakura. Kushina pushed her way through the crowd, slipping around the desk and pressing a chaste kiss to her husband's cheek.

Minato cleared his throat, though it was unnecessary, for _everyone_ could see the seriousness in his face, in his demeanor. "Now that everyone has arrived," he began. "We can get down to discussing while I've called you here. Each and every one of you is skilled beyond your years - and with most of our ANBU and jounin already deployed, it's time we informed all of you as to what our village's primary concern is right now.

"Right now… right now, there is a _very_ dangerous enemy that Konoha has been grappling with for the past several years. They are called the Akatsuki, and their goal, as far as we know, is to capture and collect the nine bijuu scattered across the land. As I'm sure you all know by now, the Kyuubi was not vanquished when I defeated it seventeen long years ago. Instead, it was sealed away into the body of a newborn - whose identity shall remain anonymous for the time being. And… well, the Akatsuki are after this anonymous person."

"Are you…" Tenten, surprisingly, was the first to speak up. "Are you talking about the bijuu that Shodai-sama defeated, and then gave to all the different ninja villages as a show of trust?"

"The very same." Minato said. "We're not sure _how_ many bijuu the Akatsuki have captured. They're a tricky group after all, and considering the rather hostile natures we have with the other villages, save Sunagakure, it's not surprising that they aren't forthcoming on whether their jinchuuriki have been taken or not." He cleared his throat once more. "We do know that they have at least one of the bijuu - the Ichibi. The Ichibi host was the Godaime Kazekage, and although he survived, that was by luck more than anything. If the Kyuubi is extracted from _our_ jinchuriki, it's very likely that… that whoever it is will die."

Kushina and Minato exchanged a worried glance. "All fifteen of you will be pooled into one large team, whose sole goal is to locate, and kill members of the Akatsuki." Kushina continued on for Minato. "This is a _very_ dangerous mission, an A-rank at best, and a high S-rank at worst. We will not force you to do this… but, rest assured, Konoha will see you as heroes if we manage to defeat this grave threat."

Minato sighed. "If you wish to join this group, come forward, and sign your name here." he said, gesturing to a document that was in front of him. "If you are relunctant… you may leave whenever."

Each and everyone of them signed. From Hyuga Hinata's curvy and beautiful signature to Nara Shikamaru's lazy scrawl, each one of the Konoha Eleven and their teachers signed the document in shining black ink.

A babble of talk broke over the group, after it was all said and done. Kiba was boasting loudly to anyone who would listen about how he was going to be the first to take down an Akatsuki member. Sakura and Kakashi were having a heated discussion, Kakashi filling in his dear student on how they _had_ encountered the Akatsuki before.

None of them seemed to notice Sasuke, standing in the corner, his face a blank stone and his fists balled up tight enough that his fingernails drew blood from his palm.

' _They're going after Naruko,'_ Sasuke had realized, the very instant Minato had said that the Akatsuki were hunting down jinchuriki - and by extension, his girlfriend. He remembered them. He fought with them, and he'd seen first hand how dangerous they could be. Those black cloaks with the red clouds on them, he hadn't known the meaning of them before, but now, they bore a new symbol, a symbol of the group that was going to try and kill the girl he had _truly_ connected with.

"I won't let them…" Sasuke mumbled, though his voice was lost in the noise that engulfed the room. _'I won't let them!'_

He bid Sakura and Kakashi farewell, soon after all of them had filed out of the Hokage's office. And full speed, as fast as he could manage, Sasuke flew through the city. Urban center. Rural outskirts. Dense woods.. He couldn't think. Blood was pumping in his ears, loud enough to drown out the sounds of the forest.

Sasuke landed in the center of the clearing. And there Naruko was, waiting for him, the blonde lazily sparring with one of her clones. Once she noticed Sasuke, however, the Kage Bunshin dispelled - and with more than a little giddiness, Naruko bounced up to Sasuke, pulled him close and kissed him as fiercely as she could manage.

"Is… everything alright?" Naruko asked, staring at him, her head tilted to the side with mild concern.

Sasuke forced a smile onto his face. "Never better." he lied.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her again. He savoured the taste of her lips, her scent, the feel of her soft body pressed against his… she was so intoxicating, so amazing, that he could scarcely imagine a world without her at this point. She was his. And he, he was hers.

If the Akatsuki wanted to get to the Naruko…

… they were going to have to get through _him_ first.

That was a promise.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Let's hope the next chapter isn't quite as far off as this one was.**

 **Be sure to leave a review if you liked this chapter! Let's try and hit a 100, :-D**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, it's been about 2 weeks since the last update for this. At least it wasn't a month! Right? Right... ha ha... r-right?**

 **Please, take pity on me. I have a lot of other stories to write, :c**

 **Whatever. You guys get a chapter!**

 **Hey, so something I want to point out. You guys remember at the end of chapter 3, when a mysterious figure was watching Naruko and Sasuke? Well, this entire is going to give you an idea of what that was.**

 **Enjoy! And don't forget to drop me a sweet review if you like it.**

* * *

Could he freely admit the fact that he was scared?

No, he decided, he couldn't - and that sentiment went _double_ when it came to dealing with Naruko.

Regardless of whether he was willing to admit it to anybody or not, he was afraid. The Akatsuki, after all, were highly dangerous. He had come face to face with them once before, and only luck and the timely intervention of Kakashi unveiling his Mangekyou Sharingan enabled him to come out of that encounter unscathed. One Akatsuki member had been killed, Sasori of the Red Sands, by a combination of his teammate Sakura and Sasori own grandmother's efforts and sheer dumb luck. He remembered Sakura telling him that the only reason they had managed to kill him was because they had encountered his special brand of poison before… otherwise, Team Seven would have been reduced to one .

He remembered being perplexed by what they had done, and why they had done it. One of them, with long blonde hair and a bird of white, had managed to escape. The other - as previously mentioned - had met an unfortunate (well, fortunate for Konoha) end. And yet, Kakashi hadn't been forthcoming about what their intentions had been. All Sasuke knew was that the Ichibi had been, for some reason, extracted from the Kazekage, and that was all he was _allowed_ to know.

And… well, Sasuke was a fairly logical person. The Ichibi was the weakest of the bijuu - so, it stood to reason that they'd send their _weakest_ members to take it. And if those two were the Akatsuki's 'weakest' members, then… well, Sasuke really didn't want to see what their strongest member was like.

He scratched the back of his neck, a decidedly nervous look on his face.

Because what he was planning to do was… well, _crazy_. Absolutely, positively, Naruko-levels of crazy. Was it impulsive? Maybe. He'd given this quite a bit of thought, and really, if there was any way to surprise someone when you were an Uchiha, it was to shove a snake out of your mouth. Uchihas didn't use snakes. The only animals they used were cats and hawks - and the former was clearly not a battle animal, and the latter useless in most situations aside from travel or making an escape. So, for the most part, Uchihas didn't really use summons or animals in battle, something about pride in oneself.

Sasuke could admit that he was a fairly… _really_ prideful person. He was an Uchiha - it was baked into his blood, and every atom in his body, in his soul, was screaming at him not to go through with this, to find other ways to get even the slightest bit stronger.

He swallowed down a bit of nervousness. If there was one thing that would make him shelve his pride, his dignity, his _Uchiha-_ ness, it was Naruko. For her, he would do this - and he knew that he wouldn't regret it.

Sasuke reached forward, and knocked softly on the door.

Was it just him, or did the door knocker look oddly like a serpent? Just looking at this house gave him _chills!_ This was a bad idea, a really, really, bad idea-

The door swung open.

Really, if there was one way to describe this woman, it was _curves_. Curves everywhere, from her thighs to her… well, everything. If there was a queen of promiscuity in Konoha, it was Anko Mitarashi - and there was no disputing that. He remembered her… more of her than he would ever be comfortable knowing. At one point, Sasuke had spent a drunken evening in bed with her… and well, that particular time spent under the sheets had gone unsurpassed - until his first night with Naruko, of course.

She eyed him, like a piece of meat, those brown eyes running up and down his form. "You know…" Anko began - her voice deceivingly sweet, her lips curling upwards in a smile that was both arousing and terrifying. "I'm not the type to go out on a 'second date' with a guy, so to speak." she murmured, licking her lips. "But, I remember you, _Sasuke_." Anko grinned. "If you've come for a second ride, you've come to the right place."

Sasuke instinctively took a step back. "I have a girlfriend." he felt the need to say.

Her grin turned feral. "Oh, don't worry - if you're taken, I can keep a secret… kidding." she said, at the look on his face. "What did you need, then?"

Sasuke swallowed. "I need you to train me." he said.

Anko blinked. "Your sensei's Kakashi, isn't it?" she said. "I'm a Tokubetsu Jounin, anything I know, I guarantee Kakashi knows three times over. What could I teach you?"

"... snakes…" he mumbled.

"What?" Anko said.

"Snakes." Sasuke said, louder this time.

"No… I- I heard what you said the first time." Anko said. She pursed her lips together. "But an _Uchiha_ being a snake summoner? Honestly, I've never heard of anything like that before." She stepped aside. "Come in; quick."

He obliged, walking into the dimly lit interior of her house. It was rather dirty. Not in an unkempt, slobbish sort of way, but in a way that suggested that the occupant simply didn't care for things like cleaning up - or privacy. The fact that he could see her discarded undergarments, numerous pizza boxes, and what appeared to be a collection of men's boxers was a little… disconcerting.

"Show me your summon." Anko said, closing the door and locking it behind her.

"Alright." Sasuke said. He bit the end of his thumb hard enough to draw blood, swiping the crimson liquid across the palm of his hand. He crouched low, flashed through a series of seals, and then pressed his hand to the floor. There was a puff of smoke - and a small snake appeared on the ground, not Aoba, but a simple garden variety.

Sasuke flinched slightly when he caught sight of it. He hadn't put that much chakra into the jutsu, wary of summoning some monstrosity into the middle of Anko's home.

Anko bent down, picking it up, eying it carefully for a moment. The snake seemed at home in her hand - hissing in a way that seemed almost happy, curling around her fingers and licking them with its long tongue.

"You really are a snake summoner…" she murmured, a grin spreading across her face. " _Finally!_ I swear. To be frank with you, I haven't met a snake summoner aside from myself since…" She drifted off, her grin faltering for a millisecond.

"Why would I lie about that?" Sasuke said.

"People don't treat snake summoners kindly in this town, kid." Anko said simply. "There's a couple of people who've tried to… trick me, I guess. It doesn't really work, but still, I've gotten my hopes up a few times just to see them come crashing down." She smiled at him. "But! I know for a fact that there's another one now, so don't worry about it. What do you want to learn?"

"I know that there's plenty of… snake related techniques that you can learn to get an edge on an opponent in combat." Sasuke said. "Can you teach me any?"

"Can the Nidaime Hokage swim across a lake?" she quipped, grinning from ear to ear.

"I wouldn't know." Sasuke said.

Anko laughed. "The answer is 'yes'." she said. "To whether the Nidaime could swim or not, _and_ to whether I can teach you." She paused. "If you want, we can go now." Anko rubbed her chin for a moment, thinking it over. "It's probably best if we picked a training ground, and agreed to meet there. If you're seen walking around town with me, people might get suspicious."

"That makes sense." Sasuke said. "Where are we going to meet?"

"A place I think you'll find familiar." Anko said. "Fancy revisiting some old friends in say… the Forest of Death?"

He frowned. "You're a little… eccentric, aren't you?" Sasuke said.

"I think I made that obvious enough a couple of months ago…" she murmured, her fingers brushing against his wrists. "Did that rope burn go away?"

Sasuke felt his ears go pink. "Fine. When do you want me to meet you?" he asked.

"Let's make it a nice round hour from now." Anko said. "See you then, _Sasuke_."

* * *

Thin whips of cyan chakra surrounded the blue rasengan in her hand.

"Come on… come on…" Naruko hissed.

There was a beat. And then, the rasengan _exploded_ , dispersing the clone that had been helping her and sending the unfortunate blonde flying. She managed to do an awkward flip in midair, and land on something that wasn't her neck, but she felt his wrist _crack_ from the way she landed on it.

Of course, the Kyuubi's chakra went to work near immediately on healing it - but it still hurt, and she knew it was going to take a little while for that stupid furball to fix her wrist.

She ran a hand (her uninjured one) through her blonde hair, a scowl on her face.

' _Stupid wind chakra.'_ Naruko thought. _'No, I couldn't get something easier like water or earth - I just had to get wind.'_ Wind was notorious, as it was one of the harder elements to master, just behind lightning and fire. Despite it being a middle ground of sorts, the gap between learning how to manipulate water and learning how to manipulate wind was fairly large. Large in as learning the base rasengan versus learning how to _add_ said wind element to the rasengan.

Which she was currently trying to do.

And it was a huge, huge, _huge_ pain in the butt. Even her father hadn't been able to do it - and that wasn't from lack of trying. The duties of Hokage were simply too much, and she knew that her dad didn't have the time or resources to put into learning to add his signature lightning element to the rasengan. Jiraiya had managed to put together an imperfect version of it, but it took him activating that weird frog thing to manage it.

It was tough work. With Jiraiya out of the village nine times out of ten, her mother's skill set far too different from her own in order to properly learn from her, and Minato busy as Hokage… well, let's just say it was tough to try and come up with something from scratch, especially something as difficult as a wind infused rasengan.

Naruko sighed, her foot tapping impatiently on the ground as red chakra swirled around her wrists. She let out a grunt as the bone _clicked_ back into place, the blonde groaning and flexing her fingers, twisting her hand slightly as if to make sure everything was alright.

She formed a seal. _Poof!_ A clone appeared beside her, and once again, they fell into the rhythm - both of their eyes closed in concentration, their hands shaking as chakra pooled, wisps of cyan surrounding the ball of blue that formed…

"You know, that might be a _little_ out of your league right now."

Bam! The ball exploded once again - the clone dispelled, and once again, Naruko was sent flying. However, something caught her before she broke her wrist (again!), and she was set down on the ground, slightly dizzy but still plenty alive.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruko groaned. "You ruined my concentration!"

Jiraiya chuckled, towering over Naruko, his white hair gleaming in the sun. "Naruko, let me ask you a question." he said.

She blinked. "What?"

"Do you still need a clone to do the regular rasengan?"

Naruko swallowed, not liking where this conversation was going. 'Most of the time, yeah."

"Most of the time?" Jiraiya inquired.

She laughed nervously. "Well, I can make a rasengan about the size of a golf ball if I _really_ concentrate. Otherwise… I… uhh, I still need a clone."

He shook his head slowly. "That's not going to cut it." Jiraiya said. "How do you expect to add the wind affinity to your rasengan if you haven't mastered the base version yet?"

"That's… that's a good point." Naruko grumbled. "What do you think I should do then, ero-sennin?" she asked, her hands falling to her sides. Her blonde hair waved in the wind, dirt and mud clinging to it in clumps that made her look less platinum and more dirty blonde.

Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "Your chakra control is… acceptable, and I think your concentration is more than enough." he said. "But… the real problem, and the real difficulty by extension, is you learning how to combine them together. The shadow clone fix was good, but now that you're older and…" He paused. "And a little more mature," Jiraiya continued, though Naruko felt that wasn't what he was going to say originally. "I think you need to learn how to do the rasengan properly."

"I'm fine with that." she said. "But like I said, what should I do, ero-sennin?"

"I think you need to learn how to… _relax_ a little bit." Jiraiya murmured. "It's effortless when you do it with a clone, because you're _used_ to it. But when you try to do it without a clone, I'd reckon you're just trying too hard. You're letting the nerves get to you, the frustration builds, and then _poof_ , you can't do it. I'm not saying that's the whole problem," Jiraiya emphasized. "But that's a good place to start.

"Okay." Naruko mumbled. "Relax. Okay, I- I can relax. Totally. Relax."

Jiraiya put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Let's try some meditation, shall we?" he suggested. "Sit down… come on, don't worry, just sit." He helped her ease herself onto the crowd, both of them sitting cross legged and facing each other. "Close your eyes." Jiraiya murmured. "Let the sun beat down on you. Feel the wind. Listen to nature. Breath in…" He took a deep breath. "Breath out…" He exhaled.

They sat there for several moments, silent.

She tried to relax, but it was to no avail. Uzumakis - and obviously, by extension, Naruko, _didn't_ relax. They fought, they shot up from the ground whenever they were knocked down, and they existed solely to kick butt and take names. They didn't relax. They didn't meditate… ugh, this was so dumb!

"Calm down." Jiraiya said, and she could almost hear the way he gritted his teeth. "I can feel your chakra signature, Naruko, and it's about the opposite of relaxed. You need to _try_ , before I decide that a trip to the bathhouses is worth more than trying to train someone who doesn't want it."

Naruko groaned. "I'm trying, ero-sennin." she said. "But it's just- ugh…!"

"What's the problem?" Jiraiya asked. "Do you need some ramen? Because I'm not doing that again - my wallet wasn't the same for _months_." Of course, he could've just withdrew some money from his bank account, but where was the fun in that? "Minato isn't going to let you out of the village for a mission any time soon. And sparring with me or Kushina isn't going to get you anywhere near relaxed. There's nothing you can 'do' it become relaxed, Naruko, it's just something that happens. But you have to let it happen."

"I'm trying!" she said, her hands gripping her hair. "I am, ero-sennin, I really am, but I just can't!"

Jiraiya pursed his lips together. He looked at her for a moment, his eyes burrowing into her bright blue ones, before he let out a loud sigh. "Then there's nothing I can do for you, kiddo. If you can't relax… then just keep trying. Who knows? Enough practice, and you might be able to do the base rasengan."

She mumbled something incoherent under her breath, blowing a curl of blonde hair out of her eye. "Alright…" Naruko murmured. "I guess I'll just do that, instead."

He cobbled together something resembling a smile. Jiraiya reached a hand forward, ruffling her hair affectionately. "I'm sure we can try again some other time, gaki." he said, his smile widening at the way her face scrunched up. "You know where I'm staying, right?"

"Yeah." Naruko said. A grin curled her lips. "It's right across from the onsen, right?" she teased.

"Sounds about right." Jiraiya said. He paused for a moment. And then - "We had better give this another try, I think." he murmured. "Let's meet right here next week, at eight o'clock. How does that sound? It never hurts to give things a second chance."

"That... " She paused. "Alright. Sounds good."

"Great." Jiraiya said. "See you, kiddo."

He vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Naruko ran a hand through her hair. She let out a long, lingering sigh. And then, she readied herself - calmly spreading her legs, narrowing her eyes, gripping one of her wrists and holding her palm out in front of her. Naruko's face screwed up in concentration, and slowly but sure, a rasengan the size of a golfball appeared in her hand, spinning rapidly. It grew slightly bigger - but then it _ruptured_ , and the ball of chakra practically exploded in her hand. Not as powerfully as her attempts at the wind rasengan had, however, and thus she only staggered back a few steps before being able to stop herself.

She panted, sweaty strands of blonde hair falling in her face. She swiped them out of the way with a low growl, readying herself again - legs spread, eyes narrowed, palm spread out. The golf ball size rasengan formed in her hand once more…

* * *

There was something about Mitarashi Anko that reminded Sasuke scarily of Naruko. She was just as bright and bubbly as his girlfriend - just as eccentric, and just as prone to dango as Naruko was to ramen. But… the differences were just as plentiful as the similarities. Anko was sadistic at best, a psychopath at worst, though a 'good' psychopath if there ever was one, considering her loyalty to Konoha. She was… well, promiscuous. The clothes she wore didn't _just_ flatter her figure, they practically made it her most defining quality - and every step she took, every bob of her head and every swing of her arm only made that effect more obvious when it came to her bust and her rump. This woman was…

' _... crazy.'_ Sasuke decided, as she flashed him a grin that was a mixture between 'I want to eat your heart' and 'Nice to see you showed up'.

Anko rubbed her hands together, with a delighted look on her face. Sasuke wouldn't have been surprised if she would pull a bib out of her pocket it, tie it to her neck, and then whip out a fork and knife and advance on him.

"Okay." Sasuke said, a rather grim look on his face. "What are we going to do first?

Her grin widened. "Well first thing's first," Anko began. "We've got to get you _used_ to being around snakes… that way you don't flinch every time you're around them."

"I don't-"

"Oh, please." Anko said, waving him off as a mother might her child's flimsy excuses. "I saw you back there. A inny-winnie little garden snake, and you flinched like you were staring Uchiha Madara in the eye!"

Sasuke frowned. "I… uh…" He drifted off. "... didn't flinch…"

The corner of her lip quirked upwards. "I'll take it easy on you." Anko said, winking at him. "No point in scaring the pants off of you. Not that I would mind _that_ happening, but I'd have to do quite a few more things to make that fun." She grinned. "Anyways…" Anko raised a hand up - and slowly, a garden snake, no longer than a foot, slithered out of her sleeve, curling around her wrist.

Sasuke actually had to _force_ himself to not flinch once more. Okay… maybe he'd gotten a slightly major case of ophidiophobia aka the fear of snakes. Who could blame him? Being trapped in a cave with a snake taller than the Hokage monument and half as wide was bad enough. Then being bitten and forced to writhe in pain for the better part of a day, on top of becoming a snake summoner (Which, again, he'd been brought up from near birth to vilify snake summoners), he could say that his phobia was slightly justified.

Yet, he knew he had to get over it. Snakes were wickedly useful in battle, a fact that was apparent to anyone who spent more than five minutes researching them. The sannin, Orochimaru, had been particularly famous with them - and more than one enemy of Konoha (and later, Konoha shinobi) had been felled by a surprise attack from one of his deadly serpents.

He swallowed, hoping that his fear went down with the lump that had formed in his throat.

Sasuke took a few steps forward, his arms stiff. Anko nodded approvingly as he stopped before her, only about a foot of distance in between the two of them, the snake curled around her wrist turning it's head towards him, thin tongue sticking out in his direction.

"Can they all talk…?" Sasuke hesitated to ask.

"Not all of them." Anko informed him happily. "Only the eggs that Nozuchi-sama herself lays can grow up to become proper snake companions." She looked almost giddy at the prospect of _finally_ being able to pass on her wisdom. "However, ordinary snakes will still be able to understand us. Nin-snakes are a good deal better if you're looking to do some damage to another summon, but you can summon _dozens_ of your everyday snakes to compensate, if you're looking to say… overwhelm somebody with them, or take out a group of enemy shinobi." She sighed in a content manner. "You following along so far?"

"Of course." Sasuke said, his dark eyes still focused on the snake around her wrist. "So… you can just summon them from your sleeves like that?"

"Snakes and humans tend to be a little closer spiritually than with other summoning contracts." Anko explained. "Sure, toads might be a little friendlier, and slugs might be a little more willing to help, but snakes will _always_ be there for someone they trust. Once you've proven yourself to them, you can summon them without a blood sacrifice - and after you've gotten some experience in that matter, you can do it without seals." She jabbed a thumb at herself. "One of my best techniques comes from being able to summon snakes without seals. It's called _Sen'ei Janshu_."

"Sounds dangerous." Sasuke commented.

"It is." Anko said, beaming. "Trust me, if you want to put someone out of commission, wrapping a ton of snakes around them like rope is one of the best methods for that so far." She smirked. "By the time they realize what's going on… it's too late for them."

Sasuke nodded. "So… I… I need to get more comfortable around snakes." he said.

"That's the first step." Anko said. They _had_ gotten a little off track, she realized. But it was just so much fun! _He_ had explained these things to her, all those years ago, and it was just… refreshing, to be able to share them with another snake summoner such as herself. One that wasn't afraid of her (well, mostly), one that was if anything eager to learn how to utilize the deadly serpents they were blessed with in battle.

Sasuke swallowed. "Should I summon one again?" he asked.

"Nah. I've got you covered." Anko said. She grinned down at the snake that was still wrapped around her wrist. "Alright little buddy. Can you go and give Sasuke a big ol' kiss?" She grinned, teeth bared. "Don't worry." she said to Sasuke. "He doesn't bite… _that_ much."

Before Sasuke could say anything, Anko had deposited the snake onto his chest. Sasuke shuddered as it slithered up the front of his shirt. He shivered as it's cold scales touched the skin of his hand, the creature looping around and around his arm, past his wrist and around his fingers.

Anko stepped to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. It wasn't a… _sensual_ hand, but a more… reassuring one. "Don't freak out." she said, seeing that he had paled. "It's not going to hurt you. Did you forget? You're a snake summoner - only the most corrupted of snakes are going to want to hurt you, and our little friend here-" She pointed at the snake curled around his fingers. "- is almost _certainly_ not one of them."

Sasuke frowned. She was… right, he supposed. There was a bond that lay between summoners and their summons, and out of all the contracts, snakes and humans had always been the strongest. That was the case in all the textbooks - though most prejudiced people used it as an example of how shinobi were 'corrupted' by a snake's influence.

He swallowed. Gently, he raised his hand up until it was hovering just in front of his eyes - the snake twisting around his fingers in such a way that allowed it to stare at him with those golden eyes.

"Hello." Sasuke said, his voice cautious.

The snake hissed at him, and somehow, Sasuke understood that it was a… a greeting of sorts. It suddenly occurred to Sasuke how… accommodating his little scaly friend was being. It seemed aware of his discomfort, purposefully reducing how much contact its skin was making with his fingers, the snake trying its best to ensure he wasn't anywhere near as disturbed as he potentially could be.

Sasuke swallowed. "Alright…" he murmured.

"Let's add another," Anko said, as a second garden snake slithered from her sleeve and onto his shoulder.

He shuddered.

Fifteen minutes later, and nearly a dozen snakes were curled on or around various parts of his body. Two rested on his shoulders, some were wound around his fingers while another would be tightly wrapped around his wrist. One had slid down the front of his shirt, the snake's head popping out of the top of his collar.

It didn't feel as bad as he would have imagined, however. They were soft. Despite the fact that their scales felt a little strange against his smooth skin, they were… almost… almost well, cuddly. They seemed to thrive on the warmth his body exuded, and now that he had gotten even slightly used to their touch, they seemed focused on lavishing in his heat, occasionally making hissing sounds that sounded almost pleased.

Anko was curled up in a tree branch about five meters above him, hanging upside down, a stick of dango hanging loosely from her mouth. _Where_ she had gotten the dango, Sasuke wasn't sure, but he was forced to relocate every minute or so as an empty stick came plummeting down.

Where Sasuke was typically the kind of person to be _very_ critical of how someone would choose to train him (Kakashi's endless 'go punch a tree while I read a book' training sessions came to mind), he could see why Anko was choosing to do this. There was no point in learning how to summon bigger and badder snakes if he was… repulsed (he would _not_ admit that he was afraid) by them. Having an anaconda burst forth from your sleeve should terrify your enemy, not yourself.

And this was working.

Oh, sure, he still flinched when a snake hissed close to his ear. His heart rate was still elevated. But slowly, surely, he was growing used to their presence. He was relaxing. He could breath easy… even play with them a little, lifting them up and letting them twist and curl around his fingers as if they were a jungle gym for snakes.

"Alright." Sasuke declared, after another good fifteen minutes. "What's next?"

Anko chuckled. "Trust me, you're going to be doing that for a _while_ ," she called down, her voice echoing from above and bouncing off the trees.

Sasuke blinked. "Why?"

"It's not just getting _used_ to them, Sasuke." she said, forcing him to sidestep as she dropped a dango stick that flew down like a missile and slammed into the ground. "It's about bonding with them. You can't just be 'tolerant' of snakes, you have to revere them, you have to realize just how important they are to you, and how important you are to them. You get me?"

Sasuke groaned.

* * *

He wouldn't be surprised if there was impressions of a snake's scales in his skin. He felt almost sick. Sure, he had gotten _much_ better, but still, his fear of snakes was a recent one - and a single day of training wouldn't get rid of it.

It was growing dark. Yet, he had an inkling as to where Naruko was right now.

And he was right.

Sasuke showed up just in time to watch Naruko blow herself up. She'd been nursing a rasengan that was slightly larger than your average golf ball - but before she could react, it had exploded, sending her skidding backwards numerous steps.

Actually, she was about to go head first into another attempt of whatever she was doing - but before she could, Naruko had sensed his presence. She bounded up to him, and they hugged. Then kissed, tongues dancing, the couple merely basking in each other's presence for a good minute before separating.

"Fun day?" he asked.

"Totally." Naruko said, still panting, her hair grimy and her skin a tone darker from all the dirt on it, and yet the blonde still looking so darn _beautiful_. "You? Anything you want to tell me?"

' _There's a secret group out to kill you.'_ Sasuke wanted to blurt out. _'They want the Kyuubi, and they're going to kill you if they catch you, Naruko. You need to protect yourself.'_

But he bit his tongue. And instead, he said - "No, not really."

They kissed once more.

Guilt was stirring in Sasuke's chest.

And yet, Naruko detected nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

Across the Elemental Nations, an exceedingly brief conversation was taking place.

"Taking him in the village is too much of a risk. But, if we capture him outside of Konoha…" a monotonous voice was saying. "Get it done, and make sure he's alive, or at least not dead." the man continued. "Failure is not an option. If we do not succeed in this, another opportunity to capture the Kyuubi may not present itself. Is the mission clear?"

A strikingly blonde man grinned. "Don't you worry about it, Leader-sama!" he called. "That Uchiha is as good as ours!"

* * *

 **Hmm.**

 **Plot developments, :3**

 **If you liked it, don't forget to leave a review. And if you want to follow updates, be sure to follow the story, and leave a favorite just for safety's sake, :). If you want to see more content from me, don't forget to check out my other stories, and to subscribe to my account in general.**

 **Thanks for reading. And as always, have an _awesome_ day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Got another chapter for you guys, and just before November too. Not the longest chapter, but I think it has a good deal of character interactions - a few previous chapters referenced, a culmination of a plot line or two, and plenty of Sasuke x Fem. Naruto. Enjoy! And don't forget to leave a review if you liked it.**

* * *

Naruko's relationship with her father had always been fairly close. Sure, she didn't share his family name - the Uzumakis, being a distinguished (if near extinct) clan, took precedence over a no prestige, no history name like 'Namikaze', whose only significant member was Minato himself.

They were father and daughter after all. Alike in appearance - from the shockingly blonde hair that Naruko had inherited from Minato, to those bright blue eyes that had entranced many a man and woman alike. Perhaps their personalities were vastly different, Naruko having inherited Kushina's more boisterous yet bubbly nature while Minato tended to be the 'cool and silent' type around others that weren't his family. Regardless, their father-daughter relationship was very tightly knit. Every chance that he could take to get away from his grueling duties as Hokage, Minato tried to spend it with his daughter. He read her stories at night when she was young, instructed her on shinobi basics when he could (though it seemed to go in one ear and out the other with her), and always went out of his way to make her feel as happy and safe as she possibly could.

And… well, more importantly than anything, Naruko and Minato had never kept any secrets from each other… at least, as far as Naruko was aware. The Kyuubi, to her knowledge, had been the one exception - and she could excuse that, for trying to explain to a little girl why she had been sentenced to a life as a demon's vessel could be a rather daunting task for even the legendary Yondaime Hokage.

But now, Naruko was keeping possibly the worst thing that she possibly could keep from Minato… the fact that she had a boyfriend. And even more dreadful than that, she had a boyfriend that had - at least, Minato would probably try to claim - 'spoiled her innocence'. All night long, with her encouraging him all the way, though she doubted that her father would see it that way; if anything, that would only make it worse.

She watched as her father let out a sigh, running a hand through his blonde hair, rubbing the dark skin beneath his eyes. Once, she remembered, he had been so lively and active - able to juggle the turmoil of being Hokage, and of being a father with little to no effort. Nowadays… he came home later and later. And though he still acted the same… both Naruko and Kushina noticed how nearly two decades of being Hokage were finally starting to catch up to the legendary Yondaime.

Her legs swung freely beneath her. The window sill perhaps wasn't the most comfortable place to sit - but it provided her with a good view of the office at large. From the ANBU who were artfully concealed just outside - shimmering underneath carefully woven genjutsu - to the mounds upon mounds of paperwork that mounted her father's desk.

Naruko let out a sigh, blowing a curl of blonde hair out of her eye.

It was quiet, aside from the near constant scribbling of Minato's pen. For once in her life, Naruko wasn't here to talk the ear off of everyone in the room… rather, she just wanted to spend some time with her father.

Carefully, Naruko eased herself off of the window sill. With her long legs, it took her less than five steps to cross the distance between her and Minato's desk. She stepped behind it, setting her head down on her father's shoulder.

"What are you up to, tou-san?" Naruko asked cheerfully, a cheeky grin curling her plump and full lips.

Minato sighed. "A few merchants based out of the Land of Grass are looking to open up a store here in Konoha." he said, his hand having not paused for even an instant in his current activity - writing a rather lengthy letter. "Unfortunately, this particular group is known for some rather… unsavory business practices."

"Like?" Naruko poised the question almost playfully.

"The usual." Minato drawled. "Extortion, foul play, smuggling… and a few cases of assault where the witnesses mysteriously decided to not cooperate. Nothing in the realm of _murder_ … but I wouldn't put it past them."

"So you're not going to let them into the village, right?" Naruko said.

"Oh, I'm going to let them into the village."

"Really?"

"Mmm hmm." Minato grunted. "And I'm going to put a few shinobi to watch them around the clock. If they break any laws while they're in Konoha, I'll have them arrested and tossed into the dungeons before you could say 'dattebayo'."

"Oh!" Naruko said. "I see… so, you're like… setting them up?"

"Not really." Minato said. "If they want to break the law, they can suffer the consequences. On the off chance that they decide to be smart and play by the rules in Konoha, that's a nice boon to economy. It's a win-win, really." He sighed. "Now… Naruko… what's the real reason you're in here? I know you really aren't interested in merchant guilds and such."

Naruko blinked. "Hey…!" she muttered. "I could so totally be interested in merchant guilds, tou-san. What do you take me for?"

"Your mother's daughter." Minato said, grinning in that sly way of his. "And trust me… Kushina would rather have the Kyuubi resealed inside of her than have to listen to me go on and on about merchants and politics."

Naruko rolled her eyes. "Finnee." she said, drawing the word out. "Why are you going to call me out just for wanting to spend time with my dear, dear tou-san?" she said. She wrapped har arms around him in a tight hug.

This time, it was Minato's turn to roll his eyes. "The only time you _want_ to spend time with me is if I offer you Ichiraku's in return." he said.

This time, Naruko took a step back, huffing indignantly. "Hmph!" she said. "I just want to spend some time with my tou-san, _no strings attached_ , and you insult me like this?" Regardless of her fabricated 'anger', she was unable to help the grin that stretched her lips. "So unlike the Yondaime Hokage that _I_ know."

She took another step back… this time in mild fear, for she did not like that look in her father's eye. "So… you want to spend time with me, huh?" Minato said, smirking mischievously. "Here." he picked up a stack of papers, and shoved them into her arms. "Take care of these for me, will you?"

Naruko blanched. "P-paperwork?" she said, as if Minato had shoved a stick of live dynamite into her hands. She stared down at it, her eyes the size of dinner plates.

"Sure!" Minato said, with false cheerfulness. "You want to be Hokage some day, right? Why don't you get started by helping your 'dear, dear tou-san' with some of his work today?"

If someone were to look at Naruko in that very moment, they wouldn't even know that her skin was a natural tan - so pale she had become, looking more like a ghost (or Sasuke, she feverishly thought) then anything.

"I- uh, um… er… ugh… I-" She shoved the paperwork back onto the desk. "I-I'm good, tou-san!" Naruko chirped, her voice sounding strained. "I think I'll… um… go pay a visit to Ichiraku's… yeah! Bye!" And with that, she practically flew out of the window, so fast that Minato thought for a split second that she had somehow copied his most famous jutsu.

' _Works every time.'_ Minato thought, stretching his back, running a hand through his spiky hair. With a jerk of his hand, and a scooting forward of his chair, he set back to work.

* * *

The book in his hand closed with a _snap_.

Sasuke let out a sigh.

Sometimes, he could admit, he felt a little… isolated. He wasn't a social creature, not like his mother or (to an extent) Shisui, and nowhere near the level of Naruko. He preferred to sit in a comfortable silence, rather than talk endlessly about menial things. Even when he was surrounded by family, he preferred to be a silent presence - only chiming in when he had something important to contribute, answering his mother's questions with short, two or three word answers that served to drop him from the conversation for a few blissful minutes.

Really, in recent memory the only times Sasuke had _really_ wanted to talk to someone, it was Naruko. And to be honest with himself, the reason for that was obvious - out of everyone he'd ever known, _she_ was most certainly the most unique, the most… interesting. Not to mention it paid to have a lot of conversations with the person you regularly slept with.

He groaned, easing himself off of his couch, surveying his living room almost blandly. Tossing the book he had been reading - a detailed account of one of the Second Shinobi World War's major battles - onto the table, he walked to the kitchen.

Sasuke busied himself for a moment, pouring himself a glass of cold water that he drank greedily - the liquid soothing his growing thirst. He let out another groan, plunking the now empty glass onto a countertop.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

He blinked; it wasn't late, but it wasn't early either, and he specifically remembered Naruko telling him that she couldn't come over today - though he might have misheard her, considering the both of them had still been basking in post-coitous afterglow at that point.

Sasuke rubbed his head. Just in case it _wasn't_ Naruko, he yanked on a shirt before he went to the door. "I'm coming!" he said, exasperated, as the knocking on the door intensified.

He opened said door, and came face to face with violet eyes, and crimson hair so red that it almost resembled the color of his sharingan.

"Hi." Uzumaki Kushina said, smiling at him in a way that was obviously forced. "Do you mind if I come in?"

Sasuke frowned. "So long as you promise not to try and… well, _kill_ me." he said.

Her smile turned into a grin. "I can't promise that!" Kushina said, wagging a finger at him almost playfully.

He sighed. "Fine… come in." he said, stepping to the side, Kushina walking through the doorway and into the apartment.

"Nice place you got here!" Kushina said, picking up the book he had been reading earlier, before setting it back down. "Very… uh… clean. _Very_ clean, even with a dozen shadow clones I wouldn't be able to do work like this."

"Mmm… I try my best." Sasuke said, closing and locking the door behind her. "Your daughter's like a hurricane whenever she comes over, but I can clean up after her."

"That's good to hear." Kushina said, not so subtly clenching one of her hands at her side. "Naruko comes over here?"

He chewed the inside of his cheek irritably - he hadn't realized the implications of that while he had been saying it. "Yeah." Sasuke said neutrally. "Just whenever she wants to watch a movie, or eat dinner together or something."

"Oh, okay." Kushina said.

"So… I don't mean to be rude by asking, but why are you here?"

She chuckled nervously. "I don't know… I uh… well, it made a _lot_ more sense in my head." Kushina said, sitting down on the couch, folding her hands in her lap.

"Try me." Sasuke said.

"Well… I kinda want to get to know you, Sasuke." Kushina admitted. "Naruko is a very… well… a very _isolated_ person." She didn't elaborate on that, but Sasuke knew the truth - a combination of her parent's insecurity about the potential threats to her life, and the Kyuubi. "And I want to know how you, an _Uchiha_ of all people - no offense - managed to worm your way into being her boyfriend."

"Fair enough." he said. Sasuke found a seat in a chair beside the couch, his arms folded neatly over his chest. "What do you want to know, then?"

"How did you two meet?" Kushina asked.

"Technically, your husband and my father inadvertently introduced us." Sasuke said after a moment - lying through his teeth, for neither of the men had anything to do with their _true_ meeting. "It was at that dinner a few weeks ago."

Kushina's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Oh…!" she said. "But… I didn't notice you two talking."

"We talked." Sasuke said, shrugging. In reality, he'd spent most of the night teasing her in suggestive ways. "You probably just didn't notice."

She pursed her lips together. "I see." Kushina said. "So that was when the two of you met - how did you two manage to see each other _afterwards_?" She put a lot of emphasis on that last word.

"Again, your husband's doing." Sasuke said. His brain was working in overdrive, straining to come up with believable excuses in mere seconds. "He assigned Naruko-" Kushina noticed the lack of honorifics, and felt a frown curl her lips. "- to Team Seven for a day. You can ask Kakashi, or Haruno Sakura for confirmation if you want to." He scratched his chin. "After we were done for the day... " Sasuke paused. "Well, I asked her if she could show me that rasengan of hers again." It was probably best to make it seem like _he_ had initiated the relationship. "That gave us some time to talk… and, well, the rest is history I suppose."

"Hmm." Kushina said. "That sounds… nice." she admitted, her head tilted to the side. "I hope you two didn't take advantage of that alone time to do _other_ things." Kushina said significantly, a fiery look in her eyes.

Sasuke frowned. "No." he said. "Of course not."

"Of course." Kushina murmured, nodding her head. Perhaps she had believed him about their 'meeting', which was omitting the drunken screw they had the night before the dinner, but it seemed that Kushina wasn't naive enough to believe that their relationship hadn't progressed past simple hugs and kisses.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Sasuke wasn't expecting any more visitors.

' _Oh no.'_ he thought.

When Naruko showed up unannounced, it was for one of two things - one was ramen, and the other was for something that began with s and ended with x. And typically wound up with them flushed, gasping, and feeling really, _really_ good; though Sasuke imagined he wouldn't feel that good if Naruko jumped him in the foyer, and started tearing his clothes off without realizing the presence of her mother. Which was very much possible.

"Expecting someone?" Kushina said, flashing him a sickly sweet smile.

"Yes." he lied.

Sasuke stood, and swept across the room to the front door. He swallowed, and then _yanked_ the door open. Blue eyes, blonde hair, whiskered cheeks, and a grin so wide that he was surprised her jaw hadn't dislocated.

"Sasuke!" Naruko said, leaping forward, Sasuke recoiling from what just _had_ to be a patented tackle hug that would have brought him to his knees had he not been expecting it.

"Naruko." Sasuke said. "I'm- er… sorry that I'm not ready for our… date, yet."

That stopped her. "Date?" she said, blinking at him.

"Date." Sasuke said. "Your mother… um… decided to pay a visit."

Naruko swiveled around so fast that he was surprised her head wasn't unscrewed. "Kaa-san!" Naruko said, joyfully, though both Sasuke and Kushina saw the worried look on her face.

In the meantime, Kushina had stood up. "Naru-chan," Kushina said, and Naruko flinched - for Naru-chan was a nickname that was reserved only for dark times.

After all, Kushina and Naruko were both cut from the same loaf. And back in the day, when she and Minato had been dating, there was only _one_ way she had greeted her now-husband before a night that was sure to end with a bit of baby making. If you had put Kushina's greeting back then, and Naruko's greeting just moments ago side by side, the only difference would be the name they had shouted.

"You two were going on a date?" Kushina said. "Where?"

"Ichiraku's." Naruko said quickly.

Sasuke had to stop himself from frowning. Kushina looked between them, left and right, violet eyes burrowing into both dark and blue pairs. And then-

She laughed. "Like mother, like daughter." Kushina said, clapping Naruko on the shoulder. "You know, me and Minato's first five dates were _all_ to that place. You wouldn't believe what old Teuchi-chan looked like when his hair wasn't gray."

Relief flooded through both Sasuke and Naruko. "The first _five_ dates, hmm?" Sasuke said, smirking at Naruko. "We haven't been to Ichiraku's that many times yet… I can't even imagine what my finances would look like if we had."

"Hey!" Naruko said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Just 'cuz _I_ don't indulge in your stupid tomato fixation, and you want to indulge in my ramen one doesn't mean anything!"

"Indulge?" Sasuke said. "Have you been sneaking words out of the thesaurus again?"

"Why, you…!"

Kushina laughed once more. "I know you two are going on a date and all…" she said. "But you wouldn't mind if I tagged along, would you?"

Sasuke and Naruko exchanged a glance. "Well… we tend to… disguise ourselves." Naruko said.

"Why?" Kushina asked.

"We aren't keen on the village knowing about our relationship." Sasuke said. "Your reaction was mild… but I can't even imagine what my mother, or what my brother would do if they found out I had a girlfriend."

"Or tou-san!" Naruko chimed in. "I mean, he was moody for _months_ the first time I got my period, I can't even think about what he would do if he found out about Sasuke!" Kushina grinned - the legendary Yondaime acting like a prissy drama queen because his 'baby girl was growing up' had been deeply amusing. Sasuke merely flushed slightly, though he played it off.

"That's fair." Kushina said. "But who says I can't just disguise myself alongside you two?"

They exchanged yet another glance. "Alright!" Naruko said.

In unison, the three of them formed a seal. A trio of smoke clouds appeared - though they disappeared fast. The three of them were deeply transformed… Sasuke and Naruko assuming their typical 'disguise' forms: Sasuke's hairs becoming turquoise, his eyes turning brown, his face softening. Naruko's whiskers disappeared, her skin turning pale, blue eyes becoming a sharp green and blonde hair twisting into a shorter, mousy brown.

Kushina had taken on a facsimile of Uchiha Mikoto - black hair, black eyes, though the structure of the face was different, and her chin was a good deal sharper. She _did_ change the way her hair was cut though, making it appear more as a high ponytail (something Mikoto would never wear in the village), to further increase the differences.

"Let's go!" Kushina chirped. "Sasuke's paying, right?"

"Yup!" Naruko said.

He frowned. "What?"

Twenty minutes later, and Sasuke was already having to _severely_ alter his budget for the next month. _'There aren't many A-ranks around as of late,'_ he thought, chewing the inside of his cheek almost bitterly. _'I'll have to take on a few B-ranks. Rent, utilities, I've already got the money set aside for those, but I still need food and the upkeep for my equipment in general…'_

Before his very eyes, however, his funds were quickly dwindling. He felt helpless - because honestly, if he were to revoke the privilege of free ramen from Kushina and Naruko, he'd likely end up half dead in a bombed out crater outside the shop, his wallet stolen and his girlfriend and her mother happily spending _all_ of his cash at Ichiraku's, instead of just a third of it.

He rubbed his nose, staring down at his second empty bowl. While beside him, Kushina and Naruko combined had piled up enough empty bowls of ramen that it appeared as if three dozen people had passed through the shop.

Teuchi flashed him a sympathetic smile. "What do you want for your third bowl?" he asked softly, Sasuke hardly able to hear what he was saying over the sound of slurping.

"Whatever you have that has tomatoes in it." Sasuke groaned. "And triple the number of tomatoes while you're at it."

"You got it."

They didn't get much talking done. In fact, most of Naruko and Sasuke's supposed 'date' was spent with the latter wallowing in despair. However, it was apparent that Kushina's opinion of Sasuke had increased immensely by the end of it - for, when she departed, she clapped Sasuke on the shoulder, flashed him a small smile, and walked off, having already said goodbye to Naruko.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Naruko said, beaming happily. They were still in disguise - and Naruko had seized Sasuke's hand, intent on leading him back to his apartment.

"You said that you weren't going to come over today." Sasuke observed.

"I know." she said. "But tou-san kicked me out of his office, and I didn't have anything else to do. Besides," Naruko flashed him a cheeky grin. "You aren't _disappointed_ for me to want to spend some time with you?"

"Of course not." Sasuke said.

"Good." Naruko said. "Now - _what_ was my mother doing in your apartment, Sasuke? You two weren't up to anything…" She drifted off, but the implication was clear.

Sasuke spluttered. "What?" he said, astounded. "No! She- what made you think of _that_?"

She shrugged. "A strong, handsome young man." Naruko said dreamily. "A middle aged, beautiful woman. I think ero-sennin's written like _five_ novels with that premise."

He groaned. "Nothing of the sort happened." Sasuke said. "She… um… well, she wanted to know how the two of us met."

Naruko stopped dead in her tracks. "You didn't tell her the truth, did you?" she asked, wide eyed.

"No." Sasuke said, firmly, and Naruko breathed a sigh of relief. "That'd be a death sentence for both of us." To think, Kushina finding out that Naruko had not only gone out to a bar, but had gotten drunk and went home with a (at the time) near stranger… yeah, that was a secret that they would have to take to their grave.

' _Hopefully,'_ Sasuke thought. _'Shisui can keep his mouth shut as well.'_

"Good." Naruko thought, shaking her head. "Just… good. Woo! You almost gave me a heart attack there, 'suke." she said, clutching her chest. "I mean, I don't like keeping secrets from my parents and all, but there's some things that need to stay private, ya know?"

"Uh… yeah."

Secrets.

"Naruko." Sasuke said suddenly, and his tone of voice caught her off guard. "There's something I need to tell you."

She stopped dead for the second time in so many minutes. This time, Naruko turned fully to face him - her eyes so earnest that he could mentally replace the mud brown of her henge with the bright blue he had come to know so well.

"Is… everything alright?" Naruko asked, her voice decidedly anxious.

"There's something that… I've been keeping from you." Sasuke said. "That your parents, and Kakashi, and… _everyone_ 's been keeping from you, Naruko."

She frowned, and that in itself made Sasuke's chest clench uncomfortably - for the ever bright and bubbly Uzumaki Naruko should _never_ have to frown, and that went doubly so when she was in his presence.

"What?" she asked, and left it at that.

"There's an… organization called the Akatsuki that's after you, Naruko." Sasuke said. "Or more specifically, after the Kyuubi."

"Um… so?" Naruko said. "I'm sure a ton of people want to get this fur ball." She patted her stomach accordingly.

"This is different." Sasuke murmured. "These people aren't to be trifled with - we have no idea how many of them there are… but each of them are _S_ rank, at the very least, and a few of them could be even Kage level. Not to mention," He swallowed. "Not to mention the fact that they've already captured most of the bijuu by now. The Ichibi-"

"The Ichibi?" Naruko said suddenly, and now there was fear in her eyes.

Sasuke nodded.

She took a step back, as if he had physically punched her. "There's… but… how many of them jinchurikis have they…" Naruko stammered out.

"At least half of them are dead already, their tailed beasts taken for… whatever the Akatsuki wants to do with them. We're not sure about the others, but they aren't showing any signs of remorse. If they catch you, they'll kill you, just like the others."

Naruko gulped, so loud that Sasuke could hear it audibly. "And… you've been keeping this from me? You and tou-san, and kaa-san?" she said.

Sasuke nodded.

"I… see."

He frowned. "I- I didn't want to keep this from you." Sasuke said suddenly. "But… I was worried. I didn't want to make you scared, or- or frightened for your life."

"No, it's- I… understand." Naruko said, hanging her head.

Sasuke's frown deepened.

He reached a hand forward, to give her shoulder a comforting pat- before, suddenly, Sasuke unable to react, a fist had found itself sinking into his gut.

Sasuke doubled over, gasping and wheezing. "I thought we agreed not to keep secrets from each other…!" Naruko hissed, having most certainly been the one to punch him. It was a miracle that his henge hadn't dissipated.

"Did we?" Sasuke grumbled. "I don't remember that."

"It was implied!" Naruko said. "And don't you _dare_ get smart with me, mister!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Seriously? You're just gonna stop me in the middle of a public street and drop a bomb like that on me?"

"I didn't plan on it." Sasuke said.

"Gah! You're such a teme!" She rubbed her head irritably. "I mean- I… I'm not _mad_ ; I'm super glad that you told me the truth… but…" Naruko heaved a sigh. She swept forward, and pulled Sasuke into a tight hug. "They've- they've really taken out so many other people like me." she murmured.

"Yeah." Sasuke murmured.

There was a pause.

"Should I be scared, Sasuke?" Naruko asked.

He took a deep breath. "No." he said, his voice resolute. "You shouldn't… because I'm here to protect you."

She rested her head on his broad shoulder. "I…"

"... I hope that's enough." Naruko said.

* * *

 **And so, the threat that the Akatsuki present is finally known to Naruko. Her reaction... well, there's a hint as to past events there (events that occurred in Part 1 of the Naruto timeline, though long before Sasuke and Naruko ever met). Kushina gets to talk to Sasuke a bit, maybe to hopefully reassure herself that Sasuke _is_ a decent boyfriend for Naruto, and to make sure she did the right thing by not telling Minato. Plus, speaking of Minato, a little character for him besides 'he'll kill Sasuke if he finds out he's dating' Naruko. **

**Thanks for reading. As always, be sure to leave a review if you liked it - I read each and every review, and I will always try to reply to them if I can.**

 **Have an awesome day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**First chapter of November, hurray!**

 **It's been a while since we've had some scenes of just Sasuke and Naruko, with nothing else to it. And there's plenty of that in this chapter, so I hope you guys all enjoy. Don't forget to leave a review, and to follow and favorite if you haven't already.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Some couples solved their arguments and problems through words.

"Argh! Get off of me, you stupid teme!" Naruko growled, writhing on the ground.

Sasuke and Naruko, however, didn't.

"You are _not_ going up to him." Sasuke said, his voice firm. "If you confront him now, it's not going to take long before he realizes that I was the one who told you."

Bystanders were giving them odd looks, but none of them acted… actually, most of them just walked past the two. Naruko, about five minutes after Sasuke had revealed the Akatsuki to her, had _tried_ to make her escape to the Hokage's office. Once the shock had faded and her anger returned, she was dead set giving her father a piece of her mind about not disclosing something so serious like the Akatsuki to her. Thankfully, Sasuke had skillfully tackled her to the ground.

Which lead them to their current situation.

"So what?" Naruko said, elbowing him in the side. Sasuke gritted his teeth, his arms looped around her torso, his legs locked around hers as he kept her wrestled to the ground. "I don't care if he knows who told me! I'm gonna go up there and kick his-"

"Listen, Naruko." Sasuke murmured. "Whatever 'idea' you have as to what you think is going to happen, _isn't_ going to happen. Hokage-sama isn't going to give in to whatever complaints you make unless you have something to back it up…!" She continued to struggle, but Sasuke had her hands locked down, leaving her unable to make the vital hand seal for a shadow clone to come to her aid.

"What do you mean back it up?" Naruko rasped.

"You're strong, Naruko, but you could hardly match a jounin at this point." Sasuke murmured.

Naruko huffed, her face red. Her henge dispelled - but any of her unique features were smothered by the dust they were kicking up. "You're a chunin!" she grunted. "How are you one to talk?"

"Trust me, I have my reasons for not being a jounin yet." Sasuke muttered. His tone sounded slightly bitter. "You might be as strong as us - but all of us have a vital skill, needed for the mission. The sharingan, Sakura's medical ninjutsu, Shikamaru's ability to manipulate shadows, Kiba's ability to track our enemies via smell. What do you have to bring to the table, Naruko? A rasengan? Loud words? If the Yondaime wanted that, he'd just go himself."

She continued to struggle for a moment longer, before settling down. Perhaps, a moment of clarity hit her - and before the dust settled down, the henge was once again obscuring her distinctive features.

"Fine." Naruko grumbled. "You're smart, then. What should I do, oh mister 'I'm so cool?'"

Sasuke shook his head softly. "How about working on perfecting the rasengan?" he said. "You still haven't gotten it down pat yet."

"And you've still got that snake training thing to worry about." Naruko said observantly.

"Yeah… I do." Sasuke said. "Can I let you up, now?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. Now that she wasn't struggling, their little public disturbance was quickly becoming unnoticed. The crowd had picked up it's steady rhythm once more, people simply stepping around the two of them.

"Go ahead." Naruko mumbled.

This was something that Naruko had come to realize ever since she had met him. Sasuke… beyond anyone else, Sasuke could so _effortlessly_ calm her down. He didn't need to scream and fly into a rage like Kushina. Nor did he have to resort to bribery like Minato or Kakashi would be tempted to. All it took was a little heavy-handedness, a calm yet rational explanation, and her anger would simply… float away. It was eerie. And he seemed to have no trouble with that fact, for he did it without anyone even needing to ask him to.

She stood up, brushing the dirt and dust off the front of her henged clothes. Naruko shook her head, purposefully avoiding Sasuke's gaze, for he was _right_. What did she have to offer against a group like the Akatsuki? Hordes of shadow clones could only do so much, and even a jutsu in the vein of the rasengan was useless without the speed and skill to back it up. Sure, it might seem that she and Sasuke were evenly matched to the untrained eye - but, a small part of her had always known that he was holding back, whether it was not taking opportunities to counter attack that he could have, or simply not using the sharingan to its fullest extent.

"What do you suggest I do, then?" Naruko said gruffly. "The rasengan training… it just doesn't work. I try, and I try, and _nothing_ happens." Frustration brimmed in every word that escaped her lips. "I wish I could be like you… or… or tou-san. I wish things would just come to me like _that_." She snapped her fingers. "But it doesn't. All my hard work, and all I get in return is some stupid rasengan that's the size of a golf ball!"

She took a deep breath, her hands curled into balls, her blue eyes glimmering. Naruko rubbed her eyes with the back of a hand. Sasuke merely… looked at her for a moment, a carefully blank look on his face. He tilted his head to the side, perhaps curiously, something flickering in those black eyes of his.

"There is something that I hadn't gotten around to telling you, yet." Sasuke said, casually slipping a hand into his pocket. "Anko says that she's going off on a long mission. She gave me a list of things to do while she was gone… and to be frank, I'm not interested in being surrounded by hordes of snakes all on my lonesome."

"That sounds fair." Naruko said softly. "How's that supposed to help with my problem, though?"

Sasuke raked his fingers through his hair. "I suppose we could… help each other." The words sounded… strange coming from his mouth, as if the prospect of asking for help, or even offering to work together with someone was a foreign concept to the Uchiha. Even if it was his girlfriend. "Who knows? Maybe… we'll have some tips to give each other on our problems."

"It's worth a shot at the very least." Naruko said, smiling now. "And plus… I'm sure we can have some time to take a break, and maybe…" Her voice, sultry.

Sasuke smirked. "Oh…"

"... go to Ichiraku's!" Naruko finished, beaming.

Sasuke sighed.

"I… argh." Sasuke shook his head almost solemnly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I _refuse_ to go to Ichiraku's again." he said, locking gazes with her and holding it. "After losing half of my monthly income to you and your mother…" He mock shuddered. "I am not doing _that_ again."

Naruko folded her arms across her chest. He could almost see her whisker markers - which had disappeared as a result of the henge - stretching as she grinned at him. "Is that so?" she said cheekily, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I'm not backing down on this, Naruko."

She took a step forward, so that their faces were mere centimeters away from each other. He could feel her hot breath fanning out across his face.

"Wanna bet?" Naruko murmured.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Her grin widened.

* * *

"You're a jerk, Sasuke…" Naruko whined, setting her head down on the counter top.

Sasuke hefted a towering bag full of groceries right down beside her head. "I think that me getting you to eat something _other_ than ramen for once in a blue moon is the opposite of me being a jerk." he said. He reached into the bag, pulling out a package of frozen fish. "It's better fresh," Sasuke murmured, wiping a bit of frost off of the front. "But we'll have to make do with what we have. We can get started on training tomorrow… first thing's first, I'm going to make you a proper dinner for once in your life."

"Ra… ramen…" she moaned weakly, closing her eyes and sticking out her tongue in an exaggerated 'dying' look. "I need it, Sasuke. I _neeed_ it."

"What you _need_ ," Sasuke said. "Is to get a cooking pan out of the cabinet for me." He pointed at said cabinet, which was across the kitchen. "It should be in the top left corner… it's silver, and looks like a cauldron of sorts - you can't miss it."

She bit her lip. "Jerk." Naruko grumbled - though it was obvious that she didn't really mean it. She slumped across the kitchen, purposefully shuffling her feet. She made quite the ruckus of throwing the cabinet open and sifting through the pans, though Sasuke took no notice, having already begun to unpack the various ingredients and foods from the grocery bag. "Here's your stupid pan." Naruko huffed, pressing it into his arms.

"Mmm." Sasuke muttered. He set it down on the stove. "Just follow my instructions, and hopefully this won't come out _too_ bad." he said, pulling out a large, several pound bag of white rice. He filled up the pan with water, set it back down on the stove, and stoked the flame beneath the burner to life with a twist of the switch.

"What are we making?" Naruko asked.

"A recipe you could find in any old cookbook." Sasuke said simply.

"That's… not very descriptive." she said.

He rolled his eyes. "Are you going to remember whether I tell you or not?"

Naruko chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah." she said, her cerulean eyes twinkling. "Probably not." She clapped her hands together. "But! I guess if you say it's not gonna be disgusting, I'll help you make this stupid recipe then." Naruko grinned. "So long as you promise me Ichiraku's _next_ time we go out."

Sasuke's lips pressed into a thin line. "We'll see." he said neutrally.

"Thanks, Sasuke!" Naruko said, clapping him on the shoulder. He sighed, shaking his head slowly. "So… what's first?"

It was… nice.

Sasuke's instructions were precise, and straight to the point. He wasn't vague about what he wanted Naruko to do - and so, while he was slaving over the stove, Naruko was meandering around the kitchen, doing this thing and that. Mashing together ingredients in a bowl, retrieving a pan, grabbing things from the cabinets and the refrigerator, among other things.

Of course, he didn't have her working the entire time. Sometimes, Sasuke would give her a moment or two of rest, while his skilled hand would chop vegetables or stir a pot. And kami… she loved those moments.

Sasuke was unlike any man she had ever known. There was just an… _elegance_ about everything he did. A beauty, in the way his fingers would so easily carry out their task, every movement effortlessly specific and precise, not even a second wasted as he prepared their meal.

It was engrossing to watch. Often, Sasuke would have to repeat her name once or twice, because sometimes she just found herself lost in him.

The end result of their cooperation was a nice, warm, home cooked meal. Sasuke carefully arranged the food on his plate, while Naruko simply loaded her own with as much fish and rice she could cram. They retired to the couch, sitting down beside each other, quiet aside from the snapping of their chopsticks and idle hum of the television, which Naruko had taken the liberty of turning on.

"I… am… _stuffed_." Naruko said, sprawled out against the couch, her legs spread and her hands resting on her belly. "Ugh... I think if I ate any more, I'd probably throw up."

Sasuke, of course, looked no worse for wear. He rolled his eyes at her antics, tipping his head back and downing the last of a cup of water that he'd gone and poured for himself only a few minutes prior.

"You're a slob." Sasuke said, though there was no venom behind his words… instead, more of a teasing tone. He smirked at her, his black eyes full of a warmth that he would rather die than reveal to anyone aside from her and his family.

"And you're a jerk." she replied without a second thought. Naruko reached a hand up, yanking the scrunchies out of her hair and allowing it to drift down in a glossy curtain.

Sasuke swallowed, averting his eyes. If there was ever a moment he found his delightful girlfriend at her most beautiful , it was when her hair was down. Actually, scratch that - it was all of the time. And even now, with her lips smudged with bits of rice, clad in a pair of his sweatpants that she had commandeered and looking thoroughly… well, _slobbish_ , she was still so damned beautiful in his eyes. He couldn't help himself, and he turned his gaze back to her, devouring her curves with his eyes, his pants starting to feel uncomfortably tight.

"I'm tired." Naruko mumbled, leaning over and setting her head down on his shoulder. She wiped her mouth with the back of a hand… and then, she beamed up at him - those big blue eyes entrancing his black ones. "But I don't wanna go home yet, either." she said lightly.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, closing his eyes for a scant moment.

If there was a single trait that someone could fault Sasuke for, it was his impulsiveness.

And kami… right then and there, in that moment, he just couldn't help himself. His eyes snapped open. With a passion that could only come from an Uchiha, he slammed against Naruko, pressing his lips against hers, the both of them falling across the couch.

Naruko wasn't _that_ surprised. If Sasuke could read her like an open book, then Naruko could read him just as well - and already, she had a surprising proficiency for detecting when and where he was going to jump her. Actually, she had begun to loosen the drawstring of her sweatpants in preparation for what she was sure was going to be a _very_ hot night.

"Mmm… you're insatiable." Naruko whispered, her voice husky, her lips already red from the fury of his assault.

Sasuke smirked. "You wouldn't have me any other way." he said.

Then, he descended upon her once more, his fingers drifting down to undo his trousers.

* * *

Naruko was deeply glad that she was a kunoichi - for she thought that if she _didn't_ have the excuse of going out to train nearly every day, she'd probably have next to no time to spend with her boyfriend. There was only so many times Minato would buy that she was going to Ichiraku's… even for someone like Uzumaki Kushina's daughter.

Still, she had to be careful. Pretending that she was going out to train _every_ day, and coming home with hickies instead of bruises, sore thighs instead of sore fists… to put it shortly, it was a recipe for disaster if Minato looked too closely into it.

Thus, the addition of Kushina when it came to their secret relationship helped Naruko… _a_ lot. Kushina and Naruko were two sides of the same coin; so long as Naruko managed to keep the more 'physical' aspect of her and Sasuke under lock and key, keeping her mother blissfully ignorant, Kushina was more than willing to help Naruko keep Minato in the dark.

She called it romantic, Kushina did. Star crossed lovers having to lie to their parents about their love (Naruko had blushed furiously at the usage of that word). Kushina had said that it read like one of those romance novels that she had adored as a kid. With a lot of squealing and squashing Naruko against her bust added, of course, not to mention swooning.

" _My little Naruko-chan, all grown up!"_

Naruko was probably going to cringe whenever she heard Naruko-chan, _ever_ again. Thank kami her boyfriend pretty much disdained honorifics in any way shape or form, at least for people who weren't his parents.

And so, two days after Naruko learned the truth about the Akatsuki, they prepared for their first _true_ training session together. Not one where Sasuke held back, not one that was interrupted by brief make out sessions, or was cut short by one of them getting aroused and jumping the other. They couldn't have that, they just _couldn't_. Naruko had to get stronger, and even Sasuke had a ways to go still. The two of them just could not afford distractions from their goal - to make sure the Akatsuki couldn't get their hands on the Kyuubi, in any way shape or form.

Sasuke landed in the clearing without a sound. He cast his gaze about for a moment, as if to make sure the place was truly empty, before taking a deep breath. A gentle rasp echoed throughout the clearing as he pulled his sword from its sheath, the blade gleaming in the light that broke through the canopy.

He wasn't expecting Naruko to show up for quite a while, and so he went through a few stretches - just to loosen up the muscles and such. The sword, flawless in production and sharpened to the point where it could scythe through bone with ease, was like an extension of his arm. He wielded it effortlessly, his practice jabs and slashes causing whistling noises to tear through the air, a side effect of the sheer speed at which he was swinging the sword.

This was far too light a workout to truly get him even slightly winded, but it did get his blood pumping. That familiar rhythm of his heart thumping against his ribcage was… comforting in a way, and slowly, he felt a smirk begin to curl his lips.

He felt chakra pump to his feet, and just as an experiment, he rushed a nearby tree. With just his blade and sheer strength - no added chakra or lightning chakra added aside from aiding his speed - he slammed the sword into a tree. The blade embedded itself four, five inches into the tree bark with virtual ease, an explosion of wood chips blanketing the opposite direction.

Sasuke grinned. Pulling the blade back, he allowed his lightning jutsu to churn into his sword… and soon, the sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the clearing. He held the lightning infused sword aloft, and with a single one armed swipe, cut clean through the rest of the tree. The tree shuddered and groaned, and a swift kick to just above the newly formed gap sent it tumbling down away from him, branches and leaves being torn off the trunk by other trees.

The chirping slowly faded away. A single heavy sigh escaped his lips. If only his younger self could see what he was able to do now, Sasuke thought… it would be quite the sight to his reaction. The seven year old who had to work day in and out to even conjure a simple fireball, witnessing himself a decade later able to scythe through a tree with blatant ease.

He spent the next several minutes simply swinging his sword, running through a few simple maneuvers that he liked to keep topped off - as they had come in handy on numerous occasions. A swift roundhouse kick. A simple counter attack, parry than thrust. Among other things, of course, but that was the gist of it.

However, after a short while, something gave him pause. Sasuke stopped mid swing, planting the tip of his sword into the grass, his ears perking up.

" _You big jerk!_ " a familiar voice yelled. "You got started without me!"

Naruko landed in front of Sasuke with a flourish, a vast grin stretching her lips. If anyone was ready for training, it was her - clad in that typical orange and black jumpsuit, her blonde hair tied up into those cute pigtails of hers. She seemed to glow with a vibrancy that seemed almost inhuman, her bright smile nearly blinding Sasuke.

"I was just warming up." Sasuke said, slipping his blade back into the sheath tied to his waist. "Besides, it's not my fault you were late." They'd agreed to meet at nine in the morning - Sasuke had made sure to arrive exactly on time, and he was sure that almost ten minutes had passed since he'd arrived. Not incredibly late, not anywhere near Kakashi levels, but it wasn't as if he was going to let her off the hook for it.

Naruko stuck her tongue out of him. "You're lucky that I didn't make a pit stop at Ichiraku's before I came here." she said, patting her stomach affectionately. "Curves like these need ramen on a constant basis to maintain!"

Sasuke snorted. "If you weren't a kunoichi, I'd imagine you would have ended up weighing two hundred kilos by now." he said lowly.

"Hey!" Naruko said, her expression undignified. "Don't talk about my ramen like that. It is _not_ fattening… Ichiraku's wouldn't make anyone even a pound heavier!" she insisted.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Sasuke said, sensing that Naruko was not going to back down when it came to defending her beloved ramen. "What do you want to start with?"

"Snakes, snakes!" Naruko said, clapping her hands together like an excited little girl. "I wanna see them!"

Sasuke repressed a shudder. "Alright…" he said, after a moment's pause. He went to bite his thumb - but hesitated. He was likely to need to summon quite a few snakes, and thus he would need a steady flow. Slipping a kunai from his pouch, he etched a small cut across his thumb with the point, watching as blood began to shed down his skin near instantaneously.

The seals were simple, and the amount of chakra needed to summon the average snake was fairly minimal. His fingers were swift, and it was only ten seconds later when he pressed his palm against the ground. There was a puff of cloud white smoke. A hiss, as the newly summoned snake happily slithered up his arm.

Sasuke shuddered.

"It's so cool!" Naruko said, grinning broadly. "Ooo… do you think tou-san would let me have a pet snake? I bet it could be so super useful! I mean, imagine what you could do with a snake?"

"Yeah…" Sasuke mumbled. "Imagine."

"Can they talk?" Naruko asked. "Like toads, I mean?"

"Some of them can." he said offhandedly. "I can't imagine that the majority of snakes can talk, but I…" Sasuke paused. "I have a sort of… partner, I suppose, one that I _know_ for sure can speak like a human can."

She clapped her hands together eagerly. "Summon him!" Naruko said. "I wanna talk to a snake. That just sounds _awesome_!"

He bit the inside of his cheek. Ophidiophobia - or the fear of snakes - had certainly found a way to sink its claws into him. He really was against the prospect of being a snake summoner… but the strengths far outweighed the drawbacks. Anko had shown him just a hint of what a full fledged snake user could do, and it was _breathtaking_. There were so many different uses and powers that would be useable… but in order to access it, he had to conquer his fears.

"Alright… su- sure." Sasuke said. The flow of blood from his thumb was still evident, and so he didn't have to open a new cut. He flew through the seals once more. There wasn't some sort of secret chakra criteria that he needed to hit in order to summon Aoda to his side. He didn't even know if there _was_ some specific way that ensured that his 'partner' would be the one summoned. But, instinctively, Sasuke knew that Aoda would respond to his call.

There was a much larger puff of smoke this time. Sasuke took a few cautious steps back, but Naruko held her ground, an eager grin on her face.

"You called, Sssasuke-sama?" Aoda hissed.

He blinked. "You… grew." Sasuke said.

Aoda was at least half a meter longer now, the size of your average boa constrictor. It hadn't been _that_ long, surely. "I am no longer in hibernation, Sasuke-sama." Aoda said simply, his tail waving from side to side lazily. "I was bred specifically for battle, Sasuke-sama… so, I will eventually reach a size that will surpass even the tallest trees in your Konoha forests."

Naruko crouched down in front of Aoda. "Hi!" she chirped, beaming down at the snake as if it were a newborn infant that had just done something cute. "I'm Uzumaki Naruko! What's your name?"

Aoda looked at her curiously, unblinking. "I am Aoda." he said. "It is a pleasure to meet Sasuke-sama's mate."

She grinned. "Listen to that, Sasuke!" Naruko said. "He called us 'mates'!"

Sasuke sighed.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here, but are your fangs like... poisonous?" Naruko asked. "I mean, Sasuke told me that you bit him and all…"

"I have the ability to choose which poison my fangs may inject into my foes or allies." Aoda replied. "The particular poison that I gave Sasuke-sama was a requirement if he was to become a snake summoner. However… I have other ones, that I may switch between depending on Sasuke-sama's wishes. One that can paralyze… one that can keep them conscious but in unimaginable pain, and of course, one that will kill within minutes."

"Sounds cool!" Naruko said. "So, how did you know that Sasuke and I were like… going out?" she asked.

"The two of us are bound by more than just blood." Aoda said, looking up at her with those curious golden eyes. "I am not telepathic… but I have a certain awareness when it comes to the emotions that Sasuke is feeling. And the way he feels whenever he looks at you is more than enough for me to make an educated guess that you two are mates."

Naruko beamed, and Sasuke's cheeks went pink.

"Jeez, how can you _not_ love these things?" Naruko exclaimed. "Can I pick you up? Can I, can I?"

"I do not see a reason why I wouldn't allow you to." Aoda replied.

Despite her relatively petite figure, Naruko hefted up Aoda like a mother would her child. Aoda slithered and coiled around her arms, hissing in contentment. "You're such a wuss!" Naruko said, seeing the look on Sasuke's face. "Aoda… get him!"

If Aoda was a human, Sasuke was sure that he would be smirking. "On it, Naruko-sama." Aoda hissed, before springing at Sasuke. He bit back a yelp, ducking out of the way of the meter long snake.

"Get back here, Sasuke!" Naruko exclaimed. She chased after him, Aoda slithering behind her. "Stop running away!"

"I am _not_ running away." Sasuke insisted, while flickering to the other side of the clearing. "I am… er… choosing to make a tactical retreat."

"Coward!" Naruko screeched, though she was grinning.

That little game of cat and mouse continued for longer than Sasuke was willing to admit. But, in the end - after a skillful maneuver that involved shadow clones, a well timed Orioke no Jutsu (that startled him, nothing more), and an opportunistic spring from Aoda, he was caught.

Flat on his back, Aoda was curled lazily around his entire body.

"See?" Naruko said, hands on her hips, standing above him. "It's not so bad, is it?"

Sasuke's eye twitched. Naruko had to continuously slap his hand away whenever it drifted towards his sheathed sword. "Fine." Sasuke growled. "It's… not bad." That was as much ground as he was willing to give.

Naruko gave Aoda's head an affectionate rub. The snake hissed - perhaps, his version of a purr - affectionately. "We've got some other stuff to do, Aoda-chan." Naruko said. "So you can go back home for now."

"Please do." Sasuke grunted.

"I will be waiting for the next time you call upon me, Sasuke-sama." Aoda said. He vanished in a cloud of smoke, and Sasuke was surprised at how… _unaffected_ he was by his 'partner's' departure. As in, he didn't feel a sense of relief or of elation from Aoda being gone. As if Aoda's presence didn't have a tensing effect on him as it might have had just a day prior.

Naruko extended a hand, and Sasuke accepted it - the blonde pulling him to his feet. He shook his head slightly.

Apparently… when he was around Naruko, soothed by her voice and by her presence… snakes weren't all that bad.

"Time to work on your rasengan." Sasuke said, after a moment. Naruko grinned and nodded, looking distinctly ruffled and yet exuding this aura of… _brightness_ that seemed to shadow any potential worries in his life. "So… show me it, I guess. I'll see what I can help you with." Ebony eyes bled into the crimson sharingan, the three tomoes swirling lazily.

Naruko nodded.

She extended her arm, her other hand gripping her wrist tightly. Her face screwed in concentration, and her breathing grew rather heavy. Finally, after a moment, a golf ball sized rasengan sprung to life in her palm.

Sasuke's sharingan eyes were still, as was he. Not a single muscle on his body moved, as he stared at the rasengan.

"... I don't think you're doing anything wrong." Sasuke said. "I think… hmm."

"What?" Naruko asked.

"I… want to try something." Sasuke said. This kind of idea was a little strange for him - but… maybe, it would work. "Stand still."

Her breath hitched, for he hadn't waited for her to reply… in a flicker faster than she could perceive, he was suddenly behind her. Naruko felt her face heat slightly as he wound his arms around her.

"You need to relax." Sasuke whispered. " _Relax…"_

Naruko took a few deep breaths. They had agreed to keep these training sessions strictly professional - but really, when he was so close to her, his firm body pressed against hers… it brought up memories that would probably lead to something that was certainly _not_ training.

The golf ball sized rasengan in her hand had dissipated. But… slowly… surely, steadily, Naruko felt the tension in her limbs ebb away. Her breathing evened out. Sasuke's warmth seemed to spread throughout her body, and the comforting embrace of his arms was bordering on heavenly.

"Now try again." Sasuke said.

"Okay." Naruko whispered.

It seemed almost natural to her.

Her eyes widened, as the blue ball of chakra sprung to life in her palm, spinning wildly, glowing with a sort of energy that mimicked her own. It was a rasengan, the same size of her ordinary ones… and she'd done it with one hand. No kage bunshin had been required.

"You were straining yourself." he murmured quietly, and she soaked in his every word. "You were focusing too much, trying far too hard to create that rasengan. You had the power to do it… but you were handicapping yourself inadvertently."

"I… I get it." Naruko murmured.

She dispelled the rasengan in her palm, before turning and grinning at him.

Now, the problem wasn't entirely fixed.

It was difficult for her to replicate that same rasengan without Sasuke wrapped around her. But… it was a step, a _massive_ one. She knew that she could do it now - and by the end of the day's training Naruko had managed to do the rasengan one handed without Sasuke's help.

It was only a matter of time now.

Knowing how to do the rasengan one handed was a _vital_ step. Now, she could devote her time to her true objective - adding the wind element to her rasengan. Once that was done… perhaps she could come up with a new jutsu, one even more powerful than anything her father had in his arsenal.

Only time would tell.

* * *

If one had a keen eye and a good sense of hearing, they would have been able to see a hawk fly into Konoha soon after the sun had set.

It cawed, beating it's mighty wings and soaring through the sky. On and on it went, before landing inside the messanger station, a scroll clutched in one of its talons. The scroll was taken, decrypted… and immediately sent to the Hokage.

The message was short, and to the point.

 _Two Akatsuki members trampling around the north of the country. Looking into it myself, but they're slippery. Need you to send a team to help me locate and take them down._

 _Jiraiya_

The next battle of the war against the Akatsuki was about to begin.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap.**

 **There should be some actual action scenes in the upcoming chapters! Woo hoo! Let's see how that turns out.**

 **This is chapter ten, and I consider it a very important one when it comes to character development. So don't be sparse with those reviews, guys! I appreciate each and every review that you all leave me, whether it's long or short, praising my endlessly or critizing me. But please, refrain from those infamous 'one or two word reviews', :P.**

 **Thanks for reading. And as always, have an awesome, awesome day. Stay tuned for more, and don't forget to add this story _and_ me to your follows/favorites if you haven't already.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Not much to say in the A/N. Just... enjoy the chapter, and leave a review if you like it; I really appreciate them.**

* * *

" _Rasengan!_ " Naruko bellowed, the spiraling ball of chakra gleaming in her outstretched palm.

He only had a split second to dodge the blonde's attack, lest he catch said rasengan directly to his chest. Thankfully, the _sharingan_ provided him with more than a split-second of precognition. Sasuke flung himself out of the way, and just in time too, for the resounding _boom_ that hit his ears told him that he had been very wise in avoiding that particular attack.

"You have _no_ idea how awesome it is to do that one handed." Naruko exclaimed, beaming at him. "It's _soooo_ much more useful. Not having to make a clone to do the rasengan is like the difference between cold ramen and hot ramen."

Sasuke had done a sort of cartwheel in his dodge, landing skillfully on his feet. "I'm sure." he said, arms still raised in a defensive manner. "You're having fun with it, at the very least."

"Oh… you know." There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's going to be a lot more fun when I cram one of those rasengans in your mouth. A weakened one, of course…" She grinned. "I don't want to ruin that pretty face, now do I?"

He clicked his teeth. "You think you could actually land a hit on me?" Sasuke said. "In your dreams… _dobe_." He smirked, as she shot him an indignant look.

"You are so going to pay for that!" Naruko said, that ever familiar blue sphere swirling to life in her palm once more. "Get over here you stupid, teme!" She charged at him, her pigtails waving behind her, a fiery glint in her cerulean eyes.

Sasuke smirked.

She was so easy to rile up, and with more like ten seconds of time to dodge instead of a mere split second, Sasuke could take his sweet time. The potent sharingan spinning in his eyes, he taunted her, waiting until the last conceivable moment before he dodged her attack yet again.

"Maybe try something a little more innovative?" Sasuke jested.

"I'll show you innovative!" Naruko said. Her second missed rasengan had grinded a hole nearly two-thirds of the way through a tree - though she ignored the near deafening creak as said tree shuddered and fell behind her. She turned and looked at him, as a cloud of dust kicked up from the tree's fall. " _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu._ " she hissed, forming a sign.

Immediately, two Narukos sprung into existence on either side of the original. They sprung into action, running around him, the four shadow clones and the original Naruko forming a pentagon around Sasuke.

"Dodge this!" one of them shouted, as _rasengans_ sprung to life in each of their hands. As if it had been prepared beforehand, each one charged him at once, from all directions.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

He allowed chakra to build up throughout his entire body. Then, when they were only a few feet away…

" _Chidori Nagashi!"_

Four resounding 'poofs', as the shadow clones were promptly dispelled. A single gasp of pain, from Naruko herself.

He turned to face the original Naruko, a smirk curling his lips. "Give up yet?" Sasuke said.

Naruko grinned at him.

"I don't think that lightning reaches underground, especially if you don't direct it too." she said in a sing song manner.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

" _RASENGAN!"_

Really, the only reason that he'd had time to dodge was because Naruko had decided to taunt him about it. If he had taken an extra second to gloat in his supposed victory… and if the rasengan in the shadow clone's hand had been at full power, he likely would have a lost a leg. A consequence of letting your guard down, Sasuke supposed.

However, with that warning, he managed to escape. Just barely, so closely that he could _feel_ the shockwaves following him as the rasengan impacted. The shadow clone had come up from below - and now, he could see two holes. She had used those five clones initially to create a wall, he realized, allowing one of them to tunnel underground. Then, while the clone had been digging beneath him…

' _I guess she is Hokage-sama's daughter.'_ Sasuke admitted inwardly. _'Better not let my guard down next time.'_

"You're a butt-face!" she accused, pointing a finger at him. "That was supposed to be my big moment!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're going to need more than that to fool an Uchiha." he said boastfully, clearly choosing _not_ to mention just how close that had been.

"Hmph." She drew herself up to full height. "It's gettin' late." Naruko commented, running a hand through her hair, pulling a bug from it and flicking said bug off into the distance nonchalantly "It's probably best for us to go home and get some rest, yeah?"

He shrugged. Sasuke undid a latch on his pouch, pulling a water bottle from it. He uncapped the lid, and took a swig. "Probably best for us to put in some more work on your wind element…" he said. "I'm confident that we're close to a break through; once we get to a certain point, it's only a matter of time before we can add it to your _rasengan_."

"Ha! And _then_ can I shove it in tou-san's face?" she asked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sure." he said neutrally. "You going back home or are you heading to my apartment with me?" he asked.

"Nah. Kaa-san said that she was going to make something good tonight." Naruko said. "Maybe next time, we could rent a movie and go home to watch it together?" she asked sweetly. "You know I always want to spend time with you, Sasuke…"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And let me guess." he said, his voice bland. "You want me to shell out money for Ichiraku's before hand, _and to_ rent the movie for us."

"You know me so well." Naruko said, grinning. "Anyways… I'll catch ya later, Sasuke." She bounded up to him, stood up on her tiptoes, and gave him a big smooch on the cheek. "Bye!" And then she was gone, darting into the trees, her pigtails whipping out of sight.

Sasuke sighed in a content sort of way. He said nothing, but instead went his own way, for his apartment was in another direction than the one she'd went. It took him at least ten minutes of walking to get back into the village proper, and then another ten to get to his apartment.

He felt the man's presence before he even put the key in the door.

"What do you want, Kakashi?" Sasuke said testily, once he had thrown open the door to see the silver haired jounin lounging on his couch, that ever familiar orange book clasped in his hand.

Kakashi sat up, swinging his legs onto the floor. "You took longer to get home than I thought." he observed lazily, flicking the Icha Icha book closed and slipping it into his book. "But… rest assured, I'm here for a good reason."

Sasuke's nose crinkled. "How did you get into my apartment anyways?" he said testily.

Kakashi stared at him blankly. "Sasuke… I'm a jounin."

They both left it at that.

"What's the deal?" Sasuke asked.

"Well… I'm sure you remember Hokage-sama informing us about the Akatsuki, Sasuke." Kakashi said. "And… well, lucky us, you, Sakura, and I have been selected to be the ones going after them."

He blinked. "When do we leave?"

Kakashi's mask crinkled up in a way that made it seem as if he were smiling. "Five minutes ago." was his answer. "So you'd better get a move on. Sakura's already waiting for us at the rendezvous point."

Sasuke sighed. "Give me a minute or two." he said.

"You have thirty seconds," Kakashi said, slipping the book out of his pocket once more.

* * *

It wasn't just Team Seven that was being dispatched. So, alongside Sakura who was waiting for them at the village gates… you had Team Eight: Kurenai, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuga Hinata.

"Kakashi." Kurenai greeted, nodding her head.

"Hello Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei." Hinata greeted sweetly.

"It's about time! We've been waiting on you two forever!" Kiba said.

Shino just sort of glanced in the other direction, his sunglasses glinting. "It's been a while, Sasuke-san, Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke nodded his head stiffly. Kakashi gave them a small little wave. "Alright!" Kakashi said, clapping his hands together with mock joy. "Since Hokage-sama decided to assign me as the leader of this little mission-" He glanced in Kurenai's direction, and she shot him a venomous glare in return. "- you'll be following my orders. Kurenai, of course, is second in command. Sakura is third, and the rest of you are all equally fourth."

"Why is Sakura third?" Kiba asked, an undignified look on his face. Akamaru growled softly at his side, the gigantic dog ever a side fixture of Kiba.

"Because she's smarter than all of you." Kakashi said simply. "And she has a good deal of common sense, too." This time, he glanced at Sasuke - who, like Kurenai, shot Kakashi a glare. "She's not at any liberty to give orders, I should remind you, but if Kurenai and I are taken out, command will default to her."

"Sounds good." the group collectively murmured - even Kiba, though it was a little strained.

"I'm sure you all know that we'll be going after the Akatsuki. There's no time to waste, so Kurenai and I will fill you in on the details on our way there." Kakashi said. "We'll be linking up with Jiraiya-sama as fast as we can, so get the lead out, and we should make it to our destination in three days or so. Everyone ready?"

They nodded.

"Then let's go."

The seven of them sprang into the evening light.

Greenery and tree trunks sped past them. Kakashi lead them down the main path for about twenty minutes or so, the party skirting around merchant caravans and bands of traveling civilians. At a seemingly random point - though Sasuke knew it wasn't random, Kakashi was much too methodical for that - they diverged, slipping into the treeline and taking to the branches.

"Do you mind filling us in on what we're going to be up against?" Sakura called, even her bellowing voice almost being lost in the whipping of the wind as they soared through the air.

"We've got reports of two Akatsuki members being sighted in the north of the Land of Fire." Kakashi said, holding two fingers out. "No clue which ones they are… or what they want. Whether it's our jinchuriki or another nation's, we still need to scout them out - and, if possible, dispose of them."

A sort of… tension spread throughout the group.

These were _S-rank_ criminals. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi had faced them before - and though they'd walked away with one Akatsuki member dead, it had been with the Kazekage's death and resurrection hanging over their heads. If these people could kill a _Kage_ with only a single member… they could scarcely imagine what would happen if the entire Akatsuki were to work together as a single cohort.

And it was clear that Kakashi and Kurenai were taking this seriously. One didn't set up a chain of command that accounted for not one, but _two_ jounin dying without some sort of real danger to their lives.

Sasuke's fist tightened at his side. _'Of course, Kakashi had to give me such short notice.'_ he thought bitterly, glaring at the man's back. _'I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to kaa-san, to Itachi… to Naruko…'_

Going on a mission to hunt the Akatsuki was equivalent to a suicide mission - something they all knew well. He was well aware of the risks… but he had envisioned in his mind that they'd have more time to make their dues and carve out what would happen _if_ the inevitable did occur while he was on the mission.

They traveled throughout the night. Talking was kept to a minimum, for everyone was more focused on keeping up with the gruelling pace that Kakashi set for them. It was a long and arduous journey, sometimes shifting from leaping between large tree limbs, scaling steep hills, and even jogging through open plains with waist high grass.

"You ever get the feeling you're walking to your death?" Sakura murmured to Sasuke, as a light rain began to fall. "Last time we went up against these guys, I only survived because we had an antibody for his poison."

"I get that feeling often." Sasuke muttered right back at her. "You get used to it. Just keep your head up, follow Kakashi, and we'll be fine."

She rolled her eyes. "Good job address your teammate's concerns." Sakura teased subtly, a smirk playing on her lips.

Sasuke chuckled. "You know I've never been one for reassurance, Sakura." he said. "But I'd rather die than let you get killed… and Kakashi feels the same way."

Sakura winked. "Right back at you, Sasuke-kun."

Kakashi called a stop on the first night at around twelve, the moon winking far above them. When you traveled with an Uchiha, making a campfire was a negligible task - and so, they crowded around the fire Sasuke created with a mild _Katon_ technique.

It was… quiet, peaceful. Hinata and Sakura chatted quietly about the application of the Byakugan in medical techniques. Kiba and Akamaru were curled up next to each other, loud snores from both of them filling the clearing. Shino's hoodie was off, though his sunglasses were still firmly in place. Kakashi was tucked high above them in a tree, keeping watch. Kurenai was walking around the perimeter, her fingers flashing through seals, setting up genjutsu to help conceal their campsite.

Sasuke was seated in a meditative pose, his legs folded beneath him, his arms resting on his knees. He was unnaturally still… though the slow rise and fall of his chest prevented anybody from worrying that he was dead or something of that nature.

It was quiet.

He was just… thinking, about things.

' _She had better keep up with her training.'_ Sasuke thought. _'If all our hard work goes down the drain because that idiot feels the need to spend a week at the ramen shop…'_

Sasuke sighed.

High above the campsite, a white bird circled the sky lazily.

* * *

Naruko hummed a little ditty under her breath, a bounce to her step. "Sasuke…!" she called out cheerfully, knocking on his door several times. "You've got money in your wallet that rightfully belongs to the ramen gods!"

She paused and waited, grinning dumbly. Naruko tapped her foot on the ground, glancing this way and that, her blue eyes bright and unafflicted.

The thinnest of frowns curled her lips. Again, she reached forward and knocked. "Sasuke!" Naruko repeated, her voice mildly irritated. "I swear, if you're trying to get out of buying me ramen, you're going to be in _serious_ trouble, mister!"

' _I need to get him to make me a spare key for this place.'_ she thought, unsuccessfully trying to push the door open. She searched a few 'hot' spots where a key might be stowed away… under the mat, under a few rocks, in the mail box, to no avail.

"Okay…" Naruko mumbled to herself, rubbing her hands together. "If I were Sasuke, where would I put my spare key…"

She spent… twenty minutes at most trying to find a spare key, with no success. In the end, she walked around the back of the building - climbed up to Sasuke's floor there, and discovered that his back window was unlocked.

' _I've got you now!'_ Naruko thought, as she pried open the window. She slid inside, landing on her feet.

"Come out wherever you are, teme!" Naruko said. The couch was devoid of any teme. The kitchen clear, no dishes in the sink. The truth was already prickling at her self conscious, but her mind wanted, _really_ wanted to believe that Sasuke wouldn't dare leave the village without saying goodbye. She searched his bedroom, yanking his blankets and sheets off of the mattress, as if he could be hiding beneath them.

It was clear that he wasn't here.

His equipment… sword, kunai, shurikens, they weren't here. The bed hadn't been slept in before she tore it up.

"You stupid son of a …" Naruko grit her teeth. "Oh… you are _dead_ , mister. _DEAD!_ "

Dozens of kilometers away, Sasuke shivered.

Naruko tore out of his apartment, a dangerous fury in her eyes. Her first, _very_ first instinct was to rush her father's office and point blank demand where Sasuke was. But… but, she hesitated, she did. Sasuke's words repeated in her head - because if he had been explicitly ordered _not_ to reveal the Akatsuki to anyone, let alone her, and she pretty much ratted him out… at worst, he could be court martialed. At best, not only would their relationship likely be exposed, but Sasuke would be in trouble for letting a secret like that out.

So… she went to the next best thing. Her mother, Uzumaki Kushina, who was _de facto_ her father's most trusted advisor, even if the council technically held a position above the Hokage's wife.

Kushina actually had a fair amount of responsibilities within Minato's administration. She was a good spokesperson - bright, bubbly… the type of person that could warm up a merchant or aristocrat into accepting an obviously one sided deal. The village adored her, and it was a generally accepted fact that when it came to popularity in Konoha, Kushina was shadowed only by Minato himself.

Naruko was well aware of the fact that her mother was at a meeting with a group of merchants from the Land of Waves, looking to establish a trade route that would almost certainly benefit both parties. Actually, she was _just_ finishing the meeting. Naruko came skidding down the hall the instant they were walking out of the room.

Kushina looked at her and smiled. Once the redhead got a good look at her daughter's expression, however, said smile slipped away in an instant. Kushina cast a glance behind her, as if to make sure they weren't going to be overhead, before swiftly closing the distance between her and Naruko.

"Is something wrong?" Kushina asked in a whisper.

Naruko grit her teeth. "Sasuke wouldn't go out on a mission without telling me." she said, her voice severe. "Spill the beans, kaa-san."

Kushina swallowed. "I don't know what you're talking about." she said in a hoarse voice, shifting nervously on the balls of her feet.

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "You know kaa-san," Naruko said. "I'm _really_ glad that I didn't inherit your terrible lying skills."

Kushina grimaced. "That was uncalled for…" she mumbled. She sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Alright… alright, I suppose… Sasuke… _might_ be on a mission."

"What kind of mission?" Naruko asked.

"Um… a classified one." Kushina said.

Naruko felt herself still. "He's… he's on a mission to help take out the Akatsuki, isn't he?" she said, her eyes wide with shock.

Kushina herself looked shocked. "How do you…"

"That idiot!" Naruko hissed. She wheeled around, and darted down the hall. Kushina didn't wait - speeding off after Naruko.

Kushina knew _exactly_ where Naruko was going. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough to intercept her - Naruko _was_ the daughter of the infamous Yellow Flash after all. Still, she managed to catch up... if only because her body flicker technique was a little more refined. It wasn't enough, though. This impromptu chase went all the way to the hallway outside of the Hokage's office.

The redhead rounded the corner just in time to see the end of Naruko's pigtails whip inside of her husband's office. " _YOU!_ " Naruko screeched, pointing an accusing finger at her father.

Minato flew up, his hair disheveled, the blonde just a little too slow to wipe the obvious line of drool leaking from his mouth. "Wha- what?" he said. "I'm up! I wasn't sleeping, I was…" He yawned. "Just resting my eyes…" Minato blinked a few times. "Naruko? What are you doing here?"

"I want to go after the Akatsuki!" Naruko declared, stopping just in front of the desk, a fiery look in her eyes.

Kushina came streaming into the office after Naruko, huffing and puffing. A few years without missions nor strenuous training had left her stamina at a level that had much to be desired. Her face as red as her hair, and a strange cramp in her calf.

Minato's attention, however, was focused more on his daughter. He looked like a fish out of water, his mouth agape, his eyes wide. "How… how do you know about the Akatsuki, Naruko?" he said after a moment… his voice cautious, brimming with undertones of obvious worry. "I… you… _how_?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "That's for me to know, and you to never find out." Naruko said, sticking her tongue out at him. "And besides, what does it matter? I know about them, I know that you sent a team after them, and I wanna go after the Akatsuki too!"

"Naruko, you _can't_." Kushina said from behind her. "You have no idea the kind of danger that you going out in the open would put you in." she continued, gripping Naruko's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "We're trying to do what's best for you; can't you realize that?"

Naruko frowned. "I… kaa-san, I don't _care_ if the safest option is for me to huddle up in the village like some sort of coward." She took a deep breath. Minato felt something stir in his gut, for gone was the childishness that was so often present in his baby girl's eyes - replaced by a sort of crystal clear determination that seemed far beyond her years. "I'm strong, I _am_ strong. I'm not going to go out there and get captured, I promise, but I still want to fight. If they're going after people like me, _jinchuuriki_ or however you want to call them, I want to go up to the leader of the Akatsuki and punch him in the nose - courtesy of us jinchuuriki."

"These people aren't ordinary shinobi." Minato said, after a moment long pause. "They are brutal _murderers_ ; one of them alone managed to defeat the Kazekage. It's not a case of whether I think you're weak, Naruko, but the Akatsuki is _not_ to be trifled with." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I sent a team of seven people after a pair of them." Minato said quietly. "And I'm still worried that they're going to come back defeated… or worse. That's with _two_ sharingan users, a Sannin, a Byakugan user, a medical ninja…" He drifted off.

' _Sharingan users.'_ Naruko thought. _'Sasuke…'_

"Like I said," Naruko murmured, her voice firm and resolute. "I don't care how dangerous these freaks are. I still want to help, I want to _fight_ , I want- I want…" Something resembling a growl escaped her throat. "I don't want to have to go after them without your 'permission', tou-san." Naruko said.

His eyes narrowed. "Without my permission?" Minato said.

"I can track them on my own." Naruko said. She wasn't going to let Sasuke fight those _jerks_ all on his own - and if her parents wanted to be overprotective nuisances… well… she would resort to more dirty tactics if she had to.

"And you wouldn't be able to find me, either." she continued, her tone confident.

Minato frowned. "I may be a little rusty…" he said, placing his hands down on the desk. "But I can still track down an eighteen year old girl who wears orange as a force of habit." His voice was forceful… but still fatherly in a way.

Naruko smirked; Sasuke really _was_ rubbing off on her, because three months ago she _never_ would have imagined doing something like this. She formed a seal with her hands, and in an instant at least four dozen shadow clones of her surged into the room. They covered every inch of the office, from the still open door, surrounding Kushina and nearly engulfing the desk Minato sat behind.

"How are you going to know which one to chase?" It was like a boombox cranked up to the loudest possible setting - and then about three settings above that; every Naruko in the room said the words at the same time. Minato merely cringed a little, but Kushina physically had to cover her ears with her hands, her face twisting up in mild pain.

Minato let out something that resembled a growl. "I'll chase down and take down each and every one of your clones if I have to, Naruko." he murmured. "I _refuse_ to let you put yourself in danger. I will not-"

"Minato…" Kushina murmured, straightening up. "I… agree with you." she said. "I really do- but Naruko-chan isn't going to listen to us; that should be obvious to you already, Minato." She took a deep breath. Naruko had already snuck around behind their backs with Sasuke; Kushina had no doubt in her mind that if Naruko _wanted_ to chase after her boyfriend, she was going to, whether she and Minato agreed or not. She was too much like her mother and father for her own good in that regard. "It's best- it's best if do this the _right_ way, Minato." Kushina continued.

Minato seemed… shocked, his face slackened and his fierce expression melting into something vaguely puppy-like. "Kushi…?" he murmured, for if there was one thing he had always expected, it was _her_ support.

It was as if Naruko's presence in that room was ignored, for the two lovers were focused on only each other. "What if she does go off on her own, Minato?" Kushina said. "If we- if we… if we go along with Naruko on this… maybe we could keep a lid on it; you could send a team with her, one that can… help protect her." Kushina took a deep breath. "Three teams of chunin, three jounin, _and_ Naruko…? I- I think… I _hope_ that they would be fine."

"I mean… I- I don't know, Kushi." Minato murmured. "I just… I just want to keep her safe."

Kushina crossed the room in a few swift strides, stepping around the desk and wrapping her arms around him. "This is keeping her safe, baby." Kushina whispered. "You know Naruko; she's going to go after the Akatsuki whether it's on her own and against your wishes, or if it's with our go ahead."

Minato's chest gently rose and fell.

He closed his eyes.

Seconds ticked by.

Then, he reopened them.

"Kushina…" Minato said slowly. "Could you go alert Sarutobi Asuma that I require his and his team's services?"

"Of course." Kushina said. She planned a big, wet kiss on Minato's cheek; then, she made her way out of the office, weaving in and out of the many Narukos.

The door closed.

"Get rid of the clones." Minato said, with a casual wave of his hand. The original Naruko gulped, and then nodded. Smoke filled the office for the next minute or so, but when it finally dissipated, only a single blonde jinchuriki remained, standing in front of the desk.

"So… am… am I going?" Naruko asked.

Minato stared at her for a moment, his expression hard; his hands were flattened on the table, and there was a sort of tenseness in his body that ran from his pinky finger to the last follicle of hair on top of his head.

"I want you to know that I love you, Naruko." Minato murmured, his voice low. "And that-" His voice cracked slightly, and he averted his gaze pointedly. "And that all I ever wanted to do was protect you; even if that meant bottling you up in the village. Okay?"

She frowned ever so slightly. "I understand, tou-san." Naruko said quietly.

"You'll be going with the newest incarnation of the Ino-Shika-Cho squadron." Minato said. "And… well, combined with Kakashi and Kurenai's teams… I hope that's more than enough to keep you safe. I'll instruct them to meet you at the village gate in one hour; you have until then to get ready to leave."

"Okay." Naruko said.

Minato beckoned her towards him with a finger… and without an ounce of hesitation, Naruko stepped forward. "Be safe." Minato said, pulling his daughter into a tight hug. "If you go out there and… and…" He drifted off. "I don't know what your mother and I will do; so be safe."

"I love you, tou-san." Naruko said.

"I love you too, kiddo." Minato said. "Now get going… before I change my mind."

She stepped back, and flashed a bright smile at him. "Thank you, tou-san." Naruko said. Then, she was out of the door as well.

Minato let a long, lingering sigh spill from his lips. He dropped into his chair like a sack of potatoes, leaning back, rubbing his forehead where a migraine seemed to be developing.

' _Please, Naruko.'_ he thought. _'Don't make me regret this. Don't.'_

* * *

 **Well, things are moving now, and they're certainly not moving in a good direction. A little less focus on the two main characters than I'm sure many of you would have liked, but it's necessary. Don't forget to leave a review if you liked it.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Another chapter so soon?! :D**

 **I hope you guys enjoy. Be sure to leave a review if you like it, pretty please, :)**

* * *

Though Minato had given her an hour to prepare and rendezvous with the team she'd be traveling with, Naruko was fully ready within twenty minutes; her sandals yanked on, her kunai and other assorted gear strapped to pouches on her hip and thighs, and a cup of instant ramen settling in her belly in order to help keep her energy during the trip. She was clad in the distinct outfit that her godfather had gotten her, a specially made jumpsuit of orange and black that seemed to surge her confidence by the mere grace of wearing it.

She stared at herself in the mirror; blue eyes tracing her soft features, her mind able to piece together the parts that were distinctly hers, and the parts that she inherited from her mother and father. The last few minutes had been so hectic - and so, for a moment ( _just_ a moment), she allowed herself to… relax. Naruko leaned forward, a finger tracing the whisker marks that ran along her cheeks.

' _I wonder if he likes them.'_ she thought. Naruko had never asked him what he thought of her odd birth marks - the result of being the daughter of a full blown jinchuriki, and not a consequence of _being_ a jinchuriki as one might think. Actually, there were a lot of things she had never thought to ask him; whether he enjoyed that thing she did with her tongue, whether he liked how she would practically tackle him to the ground whenever she wanted to initiate 'fun time', whether he could hear the strong thumping of her heart whenever his head was nestled in her bust…

It wasn't that this was the first time that he had gone out on a mission. No, Sasuke was a shinobi, a phenomenally skilled one, and there was no delusion in Naruko's mind that he was going to stay in the village twenty-four seven, three-sixty-five, just for the sake of being with his girlfriend. He had left before, and though she had missed him, it hadn't- it hadn't been anywhere _near_ as bad as the ache this time in particular caused.

The other times, Sasuke had taken great care to inform her of when he was leaving; and as one might expect, they spent a lot of time rolling around underneath the sheets the night before, in order to _really_ 'say goodbye' to each other. It wasn't easy on either of them - but it was a far cry from him being abruptly thrown out of the village, on a mission to take on some of the most dangerous shinobi to _ever_ exist.

She trusted Kakashi - the man was a strange mix of uncle and older brother to her; he had never been a significant part of her life, but he had been there enough that she'd consider him family nonetheless. But… she didn't trust Kakashi's strength enough to even fathom the idea that the silver haired jounin could keep Sasuke entirely safe from the Akatsuki. Kakashi was powerful, yes, but… Naruko had far more invested into Sasuke's safety than even her conscious mind realized.

Naruko looked down, and just as if she were still staring into the mirror, blue eyes were reflected back at her. Her fingers clenched around the headband in her hand, a chill racing down her spine at the feel of the cool metal, the Konoha leaf engraved into the front.

She'd never worn it for longer than five minutes.

Naruko had _never_ gone on a mission outside the village.

She had hardly ever been outside of the village, unless she was under lock and key. Naruko had never been to a beach, she'd never slept in a bed other than her own (or Sasuke's), she had never, ever done anything like that.

In fact, she had never even considered doing something like this; no, even the ever impulsive, ever adventurous Uzumaki Naruko had been perfectly content with the status quo - staying in the village, shadowed by ANBU, safe and secure.

Until now, until Sasuke had decided to be an idiot and help go after the Akatsuki without telling her.

Naruko took a deep breath, before calmly tying the headband around her forehead. The weight felt a little unfamiliar - but as she tied the knot together, and saw the gleaming metal reflected at her, Naruko knew that she had made the right choice.

She would go with the team her father assigned her, link up with Sasuke, and kick some Akatsuki butt. She would _do_ it, and Naruko knew that she would do it a thousand times over; mostly because she knew that _Sasuke_ would have done it for her a million times over.

Naruko grinned dumbly at herself in the mirror. Tugging at her sleeves one last time, not to mention twisting her hair into her signature pigtails, Naruko could honestly say that she felt more than ready to face her enemies. _'Akatsuki… here I come!'_ she thought.

She stepped out of her bathroom, and into her room proper. There was the bed where she had revealed the secret of the Kyuubi to Sasuke; the shirt and pants she had worn when they first met lay on the floor at her feet. They hadn't even hit their six month anniversary yet, Naruko thought, and yet she couldn't help but glance around her room and think almost exclusively about Sasuke.

"He'd better be thinking about _me_ , too." she mumbled to herself, sweeping the dirty clothes off of the ground and tossing them expertly into the laundry hamper. Her hands felt rather sweaty - or clammy, Naruko had never really known the difference - and she wiped them off on her pants.

Her chest heaved up and down, her breathing seeming unnaturally fast; the weight on her forehead from the headband was still odd, and the clinking of her kunai, shuriken, and other assorted ninja gear in her pouches caused tingles to go up and down her spine.

A part of her was screaming to run back to her daddy's office, to get down on her knees and beg for forgiveness, _beg_ for his protection, to be safe and secure underneath his watch. She had never considered the prospect of dying before; but now, it was an incredibly real possibility that was staring her in the face.

Naruko swallowed, though the lump in her throat seemed adamant in its refusal to retract. _'Stop- stop being a coward.'_ she told herself internally, balling up her fists. _'You'll have Kakashi watching over you; you'll have_ _Sasuke_ _watching over you! You'll be fine. You will be fine.'_

Once again, she wiped her hands on her pants. Then, with long purposeful strides, Naruko walked to a window adorning the side of the room; yanking it open, she slipped through the gap, and leapt off into the village. She seemed to breath a little easier outside the confines of her room, soaring from rooftop to rooftop, her pigtails waving behind her like streamers.

The village was a wondrous expanse below her, stretching far beyond what her eyes could see; in the distance, near the point where the sky met the earth, Naruko could just make out the tall walls that surrounded the village that she had been dwelled in for the vast majority of her life. Well maintained, manned with shinobi ranging from green genins to armed and dangerous jounin. Though the walls didn't receive as much glamour when compared to the village's shinobi, they were certainly a part of any Konoha man and woman's subconscious; always there, always protective and watchful, keeping the village's enemies at bay and its allies and citizens safe.

She still had nearly a half hour of time to dispose of, but she couldn't think of anything to do. Even a single cup of instant ramen seemed to have caused her stomach to contract, and even the thought of Ichiraku's caused bile to pool in her throat. Most of the time when she was bored, Naruko had Sasuke to alleviate her boredom; not in this case, clearly. It was a feeling that she already sorely missed; because whether they were making love, training, or simply spending time together… Naruko felt as if a moment alone with Sasuke could _never_ be boring, nor could it be wasted. Even the thought of it made her giddy, stirring up feelings of excitement in her gut at just the thought of… of _hugging_ him, or kissing him, relatively mundane things that had always seemed dull to her before she had met him.

Not anymore.

Inevitably, she spent the rest of her spare time thinking. She trained a little, as she didn't want to put an entire half of an hour to waste, but most of it was spent in thought. Naruko leaned up against a tree, a _Rasengan_ idly swirling in her hand as she remembered finally learning how to create it one handed. It came almost naturally to her now, with hardly a single thought, so smooth and simple that she could hardly fathom how it had been so difficult before.

She didn't have a watch or anything of that sort, but she did have her gut - and an Uzumaki's gut was always a good measure when it came to a sense of time or direction. At a time that she _felt_ was right, Naruko departed for the village gate; and true to her gut, she ended up being five minutes early.

Even then, she wasn't the first there. A man seemed to be waiting for her; fairly tall, with a thick beard and brown hair, he was the image of a grizzled shinobi. The cigarette hanging from his mouth only completed that picture.

He took a great drag of the cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke that drifted upwards lazily. "So you're the Hokage's daughter." the man noted dully, examining her with those brown eyes that reminded her of earthy busts of ancient clan heads in old history textbooks that her mother had made her read once upon a time.

"I am.." Naruko said, drawing herself up to full height - and yet still being considerably shorter than the man standing in front of her. "So what?"

The man chuckled. "Just an observation," he commented, taking another puff of his cigarette, taking care to turn and blow the smoke away from her. "Sarutobi Asuma." he said, extending a hand. "Konoha jounin, leader of Team Asuma, former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, yada yada yada." Asuma waved a hand. "It's a pleasure… and an honor to meet you."

She grinned at him, bemused by his strange mix of politeness and casualness. "Uzumaki Naruko, at your service!" Naruko said, giving him a mock salute. There was something about that clan name… Sarutobi… something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Strangely enough, _that_ also reminded her of those history books.

"Uzumaki, huh?" Asuma said. "If you don't mind me asking…" He took a drag of his cigarette. "Why do you have your mother's clan name instead of Hokage-sama's?"

Naruko's smile was still radiant as she answered him. "That's because tou-san knew how important kaa-san's clan was to her." she replied happily, practically bouncing up and down on the soles of her feet. "And plus, _Uzumaki_ Naruko has a better ring to it than _Namikaze_ Naruko, right?"

"If you say so." Asuma said; he took one last puff of the cigarette, before dropping the butt onto the ground, crushing it beneath his sandal. "Well, if you hadn't figured it out already… my team and I will be going along with you on this mission." he drawled.

"Uh…" Naruko glanced this way and that, her blue eyes blinking innocently. "Where _is_ your team?" Naruko asked.

"They'll be here." Asuma murmured, scratching his beard. "Some sooner than others."

She blinked. "Okay…" Naruko said, a little awkwardly.

" _Oi, sensei! Who's the blonde?"_ a voice called out.

Asuma calmly turned, while Naruko wheeled around, her expression curious. A blonde girl came speeding down the street towards them; she was extraordinarily pretty, Naruko thought, with curves in all the right places, and revealing clothes that left Naruko flustered at the thought of wearing.

There was a fiery look in her eyes. "You'd better not be cheating on Kurenai-sensei, mister!" the blonde girl said, pointing an accusing finger at Asuma.

Asuma's cheeks turned pink. "How- how do you kids know about that?" he said, averting his gaze. "And no, I'm not… erm… cheating on Kurenai." Asuma swallowed. "Ino, this is Uzumaki Naruko - the Hokage's _daughter_."

Ino stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, she turned to face Naruko, her blue eyes narrowed in a mix of curiosity and suspicion. " _You're_ Hokage-sama's daughter?" she said, looking Naruko up and down, her nose wrinkling in distaste at the orange garb she was clad in.

"Yeah…?" Naruko said, frowning slightly. She was already getting a little tired of that look they gave her - so _what_ if she was the Hokage's daughter?

Ino suddenly smiled. "Well, so long as you stay away from Asuma-sensei…" she said lightly. "... I think we'll be good friends." She extended a hand. "The name's Yamanaka Ino." she informed Naruko cheerfully. Naruko took her hand, shaking it respectably. Ino turned slightly… and an irritated expression curled her lips, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. "And _those_ two idiots," she said, no malice behind her words. "are Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji."

Naruko turned, following her line of sight; walking down the street towards them, at a much slower pace than Ino had, were two men. One was rather rotund, though it was clear that he was actually rather muscled as well. A bag of chips was in his hands, the thin swirls on his cheeks stretching as he shoveled heaping handfuls of barbeque chips into his mouth. The other boy was thin and lanky, with brown hair tied into a ponytail, and a look of distinct boredom marring his features.

"Which one's which?" Naruko asked in a soft whisper.

Ino blinked. "What, were you born under a rock or something?" she said. "Don't you know that all Akimichi are… well… a little… um…"

"A little rotund." Asuma finished for her.

She nodded. "Yeah, that's a way to put it." Ino said. "Anyways, Shikamaru's the one on the left, and Chouji's the one on the right." she told Naruko. "I'm sure they'll like you, but… just a word of warning, do not use the _f_ -word around Chouji; alright?"

"The f-word?" Naruko asked.

"Fa-" Ino began.

"Ino…" Asuma warned.

She stopped, as Chouji and Shikamaru finally reached them. "Morning." Chouji said airily, crumpling the now empty chip bag in his hands. He glanced at Naruko. "We going on an escort mission?"

"She's a kunoichi." Shikamaru drawled. "She's probably coming along with us on whatever we're doing."

"How did you know I was a kunoichi?" Naruko asked.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "... you're wearing a headband." he said, as if it were obvious.

"Oh." Naruko said, reaching a hand up, her finger brushing against the Konoha leaf engraved in the metal. "I guess that's kind of a give away, huh?" she muttered, grinning cheekily.

"A little bit." Chouji commented. "So, what's the mission we're going on, Asuma-sensei?" he asked, turning to the bearded man.

"Well," Asuma began, his gaze drifting to rest on Naruko. "We're being dispatched as backup for a team that went after the Akatsuki."

"The Akatsuki?" Ino said. "It's about time we get off our butts and go after them!" she said, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "Who are we going after?"

"Kakashi and his team… Kurenai and her team." Asuma said. "They're supposed to be meeting up with Jiraiya-sama before long; they have a decent head start, but if we get get the lead out, we ought to catch up to them before long. That means no _slacking_ ," he said to Shikamaru. "and no snack breaks either; nor are we going to make any pit stops so that you can fix your hair." The first he said to Chouji, the second to Ino.

"Yes, sensei." they chorused back at him.

"Alright, then." Asuma said, scratching his beard once more. "Everyone ready?" They nodded at him. "Let's get going then."

The four of them disappeared in matching flickers.

* * *

When Kakashi brought them to a stop outside something that looked suspiciously like a brothel, Sasuke's eyebrow… _twitched_ ; as did Sakura's.

"Are you kidding me, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura snapped, causing everyone around her to jump. "Are those stupid books of yours not enough? Why are we in front of a whore house?!"

Kakashi's eye crinkled upwards. "You wound me, Sakura." he said, his tone amused. "Do you really distrust your sensei so much as to think he'd take some downtime in a brothel on such an important mission?"

" _Yes, we do._ " Sakura and Sasuke said in unison.

Kurenai and Kiba snickered; Shino shifted awkwardly, while Hinata merely smiled politely. They had fallen into formation behind Team Kakashi.

"You too, Sasuke?" Kakashi said, chuckling slightly. "Anyway… our friend Jiraiya-sama is inside of here; I can feel his chakra signature, and it seems rather… vibrant."

"Do you want me to look inside with my Byakugan and m-make sure, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked sweetly.

" _No!_ " Sakura said quickly. "Don't even think about it, Hinata."

"Um… okay." Hinata said, fiddling with the hem of her jacket.

Kiba sniffed at the air. "Smells like… perfume… and sweat." he commented. "And… funk."

"My insects feel… disturbed." Shino murmured.

Kurenai smiled. "If you need me to go in there and get him, Kakashi…" she began.

"No need." Kakashi said, waving his hand in a nonchalant manner. "I can… take care of things on my own."

"Do you need me to come along with you sensei?" Sakura said, her teeth gritted, her eyes sparkling like a knife in the dark. "Because if you go in there and get 'distracted', I'll drag you out of there by the-"

"Like I said… there's no need." Kakashi said. "I'll be back in a moment." Then, he waltz through the double doors of the brothel.

They only had to wait for a few brief minutes, thankfully. Sasuke leaned against a nearby wall, folded his arms over his chest, and closed his eyes. Sakura stood directly in front of the door to the brothel, cracking her knuckles and emanating an aura that seemed positively murderous. Kiba and Akamaru were playing a simple game of catch, Kiba tossing a ball, and Akamaru nearly knocking over innocent bystanders in his eagerness to retrieve it and bring it back to his partner. Shino, Kurenai, and Hinata held a quiet discussion, though Sasuke didn't hear what they were talking about.

Sasuke stood up straight when the brothel doors opened up once more, and Kakashi came out; he was accompanied by a _very_ tall white haired man. The man, who Sasuke presumed to be the sannin Jiraiya, looked rather disheveled - his clothes wrinkled, his pants loosened, and a variety of lipstick marks smudging his cheeks and chin. He was grinning in an almost Naruko-like fashion.

"You just couldn't drag your feet, could you, Kakashi?" Jiraiya was saying. "I had a _sure_ thing going there."

Kakashi chuckled. "Perhaps if you slipped a few more notes underneath her skirt, maybe." he said.

"Women are women, whether they're paid or not." Jiraiya said, still grinning. "Anyways… this is your team?"

"Those two are." Kakashi said, pointing two fingers at Sasuke and Sakura. "That's Yuhi Kurenai and her team; Hokage-sama sent us to aid you with the Akatsuki."

"Excellent." Jiraiya said, straightening out the front of his shirt. "Gather around, gather around; for I think that _all_ of you need a proper introduction." He leapt backwards, his fingers flying through a number of seals. He performed the jutsu in midair - and when he landed, it wasn't on the road, but rather on a rather large toad. "I am _Jiraiya!_ The toad sage of Myoboku Mountain, the sannin, the man that _all_ the ladies want! Now, don't get too excited - calm yourselves, for I have plenty of time to greet all of you. Ladies first, of course!"

He continued to grin at them, while everyone - aside from Kakashi - stared at him in horror.

"He's… just like Tsunade-sama said he was." Sakura whispered. "And I didn't believe her, either…"

After another moment of complete silence, Jiraiya finally relented. "Gah!" he said, nodding at the toad he stood on; said toad shot Sasuke a suspicious look, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Jiraiya fell to the ground gracefully, his sandals _clicking_ against the hard earth. "Young people, not showing any respect to their elders." Jiraiya said, wiping away a lipstick smudge from his cheek. "That wouldn't fly back in my day!"

"I'm sure you're interested in knowing who Hokage-sama sent on this mission." Kakashi said.

"Of course I am." Jiraiya said. "Let's see what little squirts MInato managed to scrounge up for me. Why don't you introduce them to me?"

Kakashi shrugged. "They can introduce themselves." he said. "You start," Kakashi said, nodding at Sakura.

Sakura shook her head, as if to ease herself out of the daze that Jiraiya's ridiculous introduction had put her in. "I'm… Haruno Sakura." she said. "Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensei's student."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "So, Tsunade got another student, hmm? What happened to Shizune?"

"She works at the hospital, Jiraiya-sama." Sakura answered quickly.

Jiraiya nodded. "And how about you?" he said.

Kiba grinned. "The name's Inuzuka Kiba." he said. "And this-" He rubbed his ninkin's head affectionately. "is Akamaru!" Akamaru barked eagerly.

They went down the line.

"Aburame Shino." Shino said, and left it at that.

"Hyuga Hinata… it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Jiraiya-sama." Hinata said sweetly.

"Yuhi Kurenai."

Sasuke shifted slightly. "Uchiha Sasuke." he grumbled, the last of the group to introduce themselves. A flicker of _something_ ran through Jiraiya's eyes - no one else seemed to notice it, but Sasuke did.

"And I already know who you are." Jiraiya said, glancing at Kakashi. "Excellent; I can tell MInato wasn't playing around with this… seems like half of the big clans are on this team!" He let out a laugh. "Anyway, like I'm sure you all know, we'll be taking on the Akatsuki. We'll need to be careful - I believe that I've managed to narrow down what their objective is, but it hasn't come easy. One of my spies… well… I don't want to try and scare you, but there was barely enough of her left to bury; poor girl didn't deserve to go that way."

JIraiya shook his head; he didn't seem to notice that everyone had tensed a little, even Kakashi.

"Money." Jiraiya said simply. "They've been wandering around the north of the country for a while now, killing criminals and the like, and cashing in on their bodies. I wasn't all too worried about it at first… then, they started to branch out a little; they started to kill not only criminals, but innocent people who had a bounty as well: sheriffs, retired shinobi, people of that nature."

"I'm surprised you didn't go after them yourself." Kakashi commented.

"I was tempted to." Jiraiya said, something of a grin curling his lips. "But… well, there's only so much I can do - whenever I come across a crumb, they've already got a few days head start on me. They could be luring me into an ambush for all I know… so I decided to bite the earth bullet, and call in the cavalry. Good thing, too; with a Hyuga and an Inuzuka to back us up, this is going to be a breeze."

"I hope so." Kurenai said, putting a hand on her hip. Her red eyes twinkled with concern as she glanced at her team.

"What is your first order, Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"One of my spies reported in this morning." Jiraiya said. "Those two Akatsuki members were said to have eliminated a bandit camp a good way's north of here not too long ago, maybe yesterday or the day before. We can travel up to the camp, and see what we can do from there."

"Sounds good to me." Kakashi and Kurenai said in unison.

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose we should go ahead and get a move on…" he murmured, casting a regretful look back at the brothel behind him. "... though, I paid for the night and I didn't even get to spend a few hours... I wonder if they'd give me a refund… hmm…"

Sakura scowled. "Well that does it." she said to Sasuke. "We finally found someone more perverted than Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi's eye crinkled upwards.

"Whenever you're ready to go, Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi said, an ever familiar book finding its way out of his pouch, and in the line of sight of his only exposed eye.

* * *

"Oi, Uchiha."

Sasuke blinked.

"Hmm?" he said, sitting up. It was rather late at night, the moon twinkling far, far above them, cloud cover near nonexistent. The crackling of a roaring fire filled their campsite, the combined team being bathed by its warmth, a hot and earthy glow extending far even into the treeline.

Jiraiya stared down at Sasuke, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "Let's go for a walk." It could sound like a question if it was phrased in a different way - but Sasuke knew that he had no choice in the matter.

"Alright." Sasuke said, easing himself onto his feet. "Lead the way."

Everyone seemed to be asleep by now; either that, or they were unaware or simply uninterested in their little nightly stroll. Jiraiya was supposed to be the one on guard after all.

They stopped a scant forty, or fifty meters away from the campsite, far away from the light, and much too far to be overheard by anything barring one of their team members developing dog ears... well, perhaps that wasn't the best way to phrase it considering Kiba and Akamaru, but the general idea was the same.

"I hope you've been treating Naruko alright, Uchiha." Jiraiya said stiffly, folding his arms across his chest.

Sasuke stilled. "She told you?" he asked.

"Well… I wasn't privy to all of the details… just most of them; but yeah, I have a general picture. You're my little Naru-chan's boyfriend, and she's your girlfriend. Am I right, or am I wrong?"

"You're right." Sasuke said. "There's really no point in lying."

Jiraiya's face scrunched up slightly. "Do your parents or your brother know?"

"As far as I'm aware, no." Sasuke said. "They haven't said anything at the very least."

He chuckled. "I know your mother… and she's a feisty one, I can tell you that… pity she never visits the onsen." Sasuke glared at him, and Jiraiya merely chuckled. "And I'm surprised that Itachi doesn't know already; I'm not exactly privy to the exact details of your life, Uchiha, but even I know that if you looked up the word 'overprotective' in the dictionary, Itachi's face would pop up right next to it."

Sasuke smirked. "That's an understatement." he said. "But I think that I have it under control." He paused. "Naruko's mother… Kushina… knows about us - that we're dating. Her father on the other hand…"

"Yeah, Naruko's too smart to go down that path." Jiraiya said. "Minato is a good kid, but even I can get a little scared when he launches into one of those frenzies about his 'baby girl'." He laughed. "Maybe you should introduce him to your brother sometime."

"Maybe." Sasuke said, his smirk growing.

"Anyway, I'm not here to threaten you or anything… well, not a lot." Jiraiya said. "She seems happy - and you don't seem like the abusive type regardless. So I'll leave you with this; you treat her right, you keep her happy and safe, I'll make sure to put in a good word to MInato. However… if words reaches me that you do _anything_ to endanger or hurt her… you'll have me _and_ Minato to answer to. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

Jiraiya nodded. He clapped Sasuke on the shoulder, smiling at him. "I'm glad you're not going to put up a fuss about it; that's a good sign if I've ever heard of one."

'I'd never hurt Naruko." Sasuke said quietly. "So I'm not particularly worried."

"That's good." Jiraiya said. "Head on back to the campsite now, I suppose, and be sure to get a good night's sleep. We've got plenty to do over the next few days."

Sasuke nodded, and ducked into the trees, following the firelight back to their camp.

Jiraiya stared at his back until he was out of sight.

* * *

The bandit camp was derelict.

Bodies… blood… gore…

If there was any doubt as to the Akatsuki's ruthlessness, it was gone when Teams Kakashi and Kurenai stepped through the ruins of what had once been a group of highwayman's home. Perhaps they had been bandits, Sasuke thought, as he eyed a decapitated head, but no one deserved a fate as cruel as this.

Except maybe the Akatsuki, now that he thought about it.

Hinata had already doubled over twice, retching until nothing but a putrid liquid spilled from her lips, and then some. Shino had retreated into his jacket, and Kiba had long since plugged up his nose in order to stifle the smell of _death_. Kurenai and Kakashi had something resembling thousand yard stares in their eyes - then again, they had fought in the Third Shinobi War. Even Sakura, who regularly spent her days at the hospital elbow deep in a patient's guts, looked queasy.

"I don't think they left anything behind that we could use Kiba's nose to track them with." Sasuke said quietly. "They were too clean… I doubt these bandits even scratched one of them."

"It was a worth a shot." Jiraiya murmured.

"Just a scrap of cloth, _something_." Sakura whispered. "We can't have come here for nothing."

The leader of the bandit camp was obvious. His death seemed the most brutal - cut marks all along his legs and arms, his stomach and shoulders… as if someone had held him down, and another person had done the dirt work. The killing blow, a blade through the heart, seemed to have happened long after the torture had begun. Presumably, he was the one with the bounty on his head - and so they'd taken it, leaving the rest of his corpse behind.

And there it was, the weapon they'd done it with.

A discarded kunai, covered with dried blood. Sasuke assumed that the person who had used it typically used a different weapon - but in this case, he'd wanted to be as methodical and as brutal as possible. _'Sickening.'_ Sasuke thought.

Kiba braved the smell… but he paused, after he had gotten a good sniff of the kunai. "This isn't that bandit leader's blood." Kiba murmured. "Actually… this blood doesn't belong to _any_ of the bodies here; I think it might be one of the Akatsuki member's."

"Perfect." Jiraiya said. "With that, we'll be right behind them every step of the way… and it's only a matter of time before we catch up." He pulled a plastic baggy out of a pouch, slipping the bloody kunai into it. "There's no time to lose. The others will catch up eventually… so..." he said seriously. "... let's get going."

"Agreed." they all said.

* * *

Asuma headed up the four of them; Naruko, Ino, and Chouji were roughly side by side as they flew through the trees, with Shikamaru trailing them by a few meters.

There was a puff - and a toad appeared on Naruko's shoulder. She didn't stop for an instant, however, and the toad had to grab on for dear life as Naruko continued to leap from branch to branch.

"What's the situation?" Naruko called, over the wind.

"I informed Jiraiya that the four of you are on your way." the toad said, loudly enough so that all of them could hear him. And, in a quieter tone, so as to _stop_ himself from being over heard, the toad said to Naruko- "He also said that he was going to keep the others in the dark about _you_ tagging along with them. I guess he wanted it to be a surprise for… _someone_." the toad ribbed.

Naruko grinned. "Thank you, ero-sennin… it had _better_ be a surprise!" she said. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem." the toad said. Then, he dispelled.

Naruko grinned. _'You'd better not have gotten started without me, teme!'_

* * *

 **Not an insane amount of action this chapter, but it's necessary to set up future scenes. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a review! :D**

 **And (totally shameless), if you want to read some more work by me, I'd recommend checking out some of my other stories. Ichi Henko and Tanabata are great for adventure/romance lovers respectively, and if you're down for some good old fashioned smut... well, Lone Wanderer is old and frankly of a much lower quality than my current work, but if you're looking for lemons, that's a good place.**

 **Thanks for reading! And as always, have an awesome day.**


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter contains my first attempt at a fight scene. So... go easy on me, plez!**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. If you like it, don't forget to leave a review, ;)**

* * *

The mission was soon to reach a climax, as all missions did at some point.

And this was how it started.

"Stop!" Kiba hissed. He came to a standstill on a branch. Kakashi raised a fist, and the rest of the team fell into formation behind him. Kiba waited until everyone caught up before breaking the news to them. "We have a problem," he said. "It looks as if they know we're on their tail-it's as if they… multiplied. I can sniff out six different locations where I can make out their scent. They must have used shadow clones or something of the sort."

"Great, just… great." Jiraiya growled. "We can't afford to let them get away-having two Akatsuki members isolated like this is an opportunity we can't pass up." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Looks like we're going to have to split up and track them down separately."

"That's… incredibly dangerous, Jiraiya-sama." Kurenai pointed out.

"Of course it is," Jiraiya said. "Unfortunately, we don't have any other choice if we're going to get these two six feet under before they can kill anyone else. There's eight of us right now, but after the others join us, we'll have twelve. Kakashi, summon those canines of yours-they can lead us to the different scents."

"Of course, Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi said. He slipped a kunai from his pouch, slicing a thin cut across the back of his hand. Gathering up some of the blood on his pointer finger, he spread it across his palm; then, he cycled through the required hand seals.

Six dogs popped up around Kakashi.

"You called us, Kakashi?" Pakkun-presumably the leader of the pack-said, scratching his nose with a paw.

"We're going to need your help tracking down a few Akatsuki members." Kakashi said. "Kiba, give them the kunai we picked up at the bandit camp."

Kiba nodded. He slipped the kunai out of his pouch. He had wrapped it in a plastic baggy of sorts, some of the dried and cracked blood having fallen off in flakes and pooled at the bottom. The Inuzuka pulled it open, grasping the hilt of the kunai with two fingers; he took it out, and then gingerly set it down in front of the various dogs.

They crowded around it, sniffing, tails wagging from side to side in a seemingly curious manner. It took a minute for them to track the scents down-a dog's nose simply wasn't as strong as an Inuzuka's.

But, eventually, they scrounged out the scent. "Alright." Pakkun said, turning to Kakashi. "We've got a fix on them-seems like they're onto you all, huh?"

"That's the assumption." Kakashi said, as Kiba picked up the bloodied kunai and put it back into the plastic baggy.

"Okay." Kurenai said. "So who's going with who?"

"We have six different signatures to track down." Jiraiya said. "And only three jounin, excluding me and including Asuma when he arrives. So… Kakashi you can go after one. Kurenai, Hinata, you two will go after another. Shino and Kiba will go after the fourth one. I can go after the fifth on my own. Sasuke and Sakura can go after the sixth one. I'll leave a shadow clone here to tell Asuma and his team where to go. Everyone alright with that?"

"Sounds good." they echoed back at him.

"Pakkun, pair a dog with each team aside from Shino and Kiba. Leave one back here with my shadow clone to point Asuma and the others in the right direction. Speaking of which… how close are they?" Jiraiya said.

Kiba sniffed. "A few minutes at most."

Pakkun nodded to Jiraiya's commands, and set to work-barking out orders (no pun intended) to the dogs under his command. They leapt to join their teams. Sasuke and Sakura got a fairly large black dog that walked slightly bow legged, and yet had an incredibly soft voice.

"Nice to meet ya!" the dog said. Its tail wagged as it looked at them.

Sasuke nodded. Sakura flashed the canine a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Sakura said.

"Now, there is something I want to stress on you all-do not engage them. Do not alert the Akatsuki to your presence under any circumstances. All you need to do is make sure that you're looking at the real Akatsuki members; then, you can send a message to us and we'll come running." Jiraiya explained. "We're not looking to have any casualties on our side today, folks, so keep it clean, keep it simple, and most importantly: stay alive." He sighed, running a hand through his spiky white mane. "I don't want any of your deaths on my conscience… so if you have to retreat, if you have to fall back in order to save your lives, I am giving you express permission to do so."

There was a pensive look on the portion of Kakashi's face that was visible. "You heard what he said," Kakashi said. "No dying on us today, gentlemen… and ladies." He adjusted his headband, and Sasuke caught a glimpse of crimson behind it. "Let's do this." Kakashi said.

The dogs and Kiba took a minute to work out which of them would go where, By the time they had sorted things out, everyone was more than ready. When the canines leapt off, everyone else followed suit, and soon the team was split up into six different small squads.

Sasuke and Sakura flew from branch to branch, the wind whipping through their hair, their clothes rippling. The dog that they paired with was keeping a steady pace, and they kept up with it easily. Next to no conversation occurred between the two long term teammates as they traveled-the two focused on their mission, unwilling to become the ones to fumble and cost their village a chance to wipe out two of its most dangerous enemies in one swoop.

"The smell we're following is pretty weak," the dog that was leading them said, the canine's voice hardly audibly over the wind. "So I would really doubt that ours is where the original Akatsuki members are, if they are using shadow clones."

"That's… reassuring, I suppose." Sakura said.

"Keep your guard up." Sasuke murmured, his eyes having shifted into his keen sharingan, crimson orbs flitting from side to side.

Sakura swallowed. "How close are we?" she asked.

The dog sniffed. "The scent is moving a little, but we're closing in pretty fast." he said. "Get your gear ready, just in case."

Sasuke calmly slid his blade from its scabbard, holding it backhanded as he continued to soar from branch to branch. Sakura allowed her chakra to flow, and her fists flashed a vibrant green for an instant, before settling. She cracked her knuckles pointedly.

"You ready?" she said to Sasuke.

"Mmm." he grunted, nodding.

He saw a light; a glimmer at the end of the tunnel. They were approaching so quickly that it seemed that they were being engulfed by Heaven's gates themselves. With one final leap off a branch, they soared into the clearing-Sasuke and Sakura landing side by side, crouched down low. Their sensei's dog summon quickly darted through Sakura's legs, to take cover behind the two of them.

It was silent.

Eerily silent, to the point where Sasuke was sure that he could hear his heart thumping in his chest.

Sakura jolted as the sound of their canine companion inhaling tore through the air. "That smell… it's around here, somewhere." the dog whispered, just audible enough so that Sasuke and Sakura could hear him. "But I don't see anything. Sasuke?"

"Wisps of chakra." Sasuke said. "Somebody was here, recently." His sharingan eyes narrowed slightly.

He heard a whistling in his ears.

Sasuke seized Sakura's arm, and flung both of them backwards; at the same time, he threw his foot back, and kicked Kakashi's dog back at least a few meters-there was no time for niceties, and Sasuke didn't care if the canine had to deal with a pair of bruised ribs if the alternative was death.

Even to his enhanced eyes, the projectiles that were flying towards them were mere blurs. They barely cleared the blast radius, perhaps only by a few inches. Thankfully, the bombs didn't seem to have any shrapnel-or else Sakura it would have forced to spend the better part of an hour picking it out of both her and Sasuke's skin, because they were nowhere near far enough to avoid a shrapnel shower.

Sasuke and Sakura, being the trained shinobi that they were, merely skidded across the ground for several meters until they came to a stop, still steady on their feet. The dog that had come with them wasn't quite as lucky-Sasuke's kick having sent it flying at least four or five feet further than even he and Sakura had gone.

"That was close…" Sakura breathed. "I didn't even see it coming…"

"Shh." Sasuke hissed, staring straight up.

Hovering around twenty or so feet above them, a blonde man grinned cheekily down at them. Beside him, a man in an orange mask patiently sat.

"That's…" Sakura breathed.

"You're the one who attacked the Kazekage." Sasuke said, standing rigidly, his sword still gripped in his hand. "I see that you've regrown your arms."

"We have somebody who's handy for that kind of stuff in the organization." Deidara said, still grinning in an almost maniacal way. "Besides - I don't want to leave anything up to chance. Last time, it took two of you to take me when I only had one of my arms." He flexed his fingers pointedly, his blonde hair waving in the wind. "This time, I've got both of my arms… and, a partner to deal with pinky there. Uchiha Sasuke… prepare to meet your maker."

* * *

"Jiraiya-sama!" Asuma called out, coming to a stop directly in front of the white haired sannin.

"Well, if it isn't Hiruzen-sensei's baby boy." Jiraiya said, the man leaned up against the trunk of a tree. "It's been a while Asuma, but we don't have time to catch up. The Akatsuki members we were after wisened up, and split their scent into six different signatures. We had to split up, to put it simply."

"Alright. We can split up and help reinforce the teams that need more people." Asuma said.

"Sounds good." Jiraiya said. "Asuma, you go after Kiba and Shino-those two will need you. Kakashi's pup," He nodded at the dog standing at his feet. "can point you in the right direction."

"Which way did Kiba and Shino go?" Asuma asked the dog. The canine sniffed the air, and then pointed its paw in a specific direction-Asuma took off at it, disappearing into the foliage before long.

"Akimichi, you go after Kakashi." Jiraiya said next.

"That way." the dog said, pointing in another direction. Choji nodded in thanks, then he took off as well.

"The Nara can come with me, and the Yamanaka here can go after Kurenai and Hinata." Jiraiya said. "Nara-my original self went in that direction." He pointed in the direction.

"Got it," Shikamaru said, before leaping off the branch as well.

"You'll be going that way, Yamanaka-san." the dog said after taking another good whiff of the air, and pointing his paw in a third direction.

"Good luck!" Ino called after Shikamaru, Choji, and Asuma, before springing off into the trees.

That just left… Naruko.

She grinned cheekily at her godfather, her blonde hair fluttering, having been blown out of its signature pigtails by the rigourous pace she'd set for herself. "You know what I want, ero-sennin." she said.

Jiraiya smirked. "You're lucky the kid gave off a good first impression." he said, folding his arms across his chest. He whistled lightly. "Point the kid where Sasuke and Sakura went." Jiraiya said to the canine crouched at his feet.

The dog gave a low yap in response. Once again, it took a good sniff out of the air, his tail wagging from side to side. "That way!" he said after a moment of careful deliberation.

"Thanks!" Naruko said, for the instant the dog had pointed in a direction, she'd sprung off after him. "Be careful, ero-sennin!" she yelled, even as she disappeared into the greenery.

"You too, brat!" Jiraiya called after her, though she could hardly hear him. He caught a glint of teeth as she grinned at him, and then she was gone.

Jiraiya shook his head slightly. After a moment's pause, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"You sure you think I can deal with pinky, Deidara-senpai?" the boy in a man's clothing, clad in an orange mask, said from Deidara's side. "She looks really strong! I hear she was trained by the big bosomed Tsunade herself…! But it doesn't seem like she inherited _that_ trait from her teacher, am I right, Deidara-senpai?"

"Shut up, Tobi." Deidara snapped. "We're not here to compare chest sizes. Just keep her preoccupied for as long as you can, while I deal with the Uchiha here." He cracked his knuckles, and Sasuke frowned as he caught sight of those mutant-like mouths that dwelled on his palms.

"You got it, Deidara-senpai!" the man called Tobi said in a jovial tone, his Akatsuki cloak flapping in the wind. "Just be careful not to look in his eyes when I'm not around, senpai! You know you won't be able to break out of his _shar-en-gan_ jutsu if he catches you with it!"

"I know that, Tobi! What do you think I am, an idiot?" Deidara said, grounding his teeth. "Now scoot!"

Tobi gave an exaggerated shrug. Then, he bent his legs and _leapt_ from the bird-soaring down to the earth and directly at Sakura. Sasuke reacted on sheer instinct, throwing himself into the air with his sword gleaming. All it took was one swipe, and he felled the orange masked man, cutting him cleanly through the midsection in a way that should have bisected him. Sakura skirted to the side, dodging the man's body as he skidded across the clearing face first.

"Hmph." Sasuke grunted, a smirk on his face… at least, for a moment, until he realized the suspicious lack of blood on the end of his blade. His suspicions were confirmed as he turned his head, to watch Tobi climb to his feet as if a sword hadn't just cut through his chest.

"Wow! He's pretty fast." Tobi exclaimed. "Good thing I have my… erm… bisection deflection no jutsu to fall back on! Ha ha!"

Sakura's eye twitched. "First he makes fun of my chest… and then he comes up with these _stupid_ rhymes?" she growled.

"Calm down, Sakura." Sasuke said, keeping one eye on Deidara - who was still circling lazily above them-and Tobi.

"We won't stand a chance against the both of them together." Sakura murmured. "The Akatsuki picks these guys so that they compliment each other, however… if we were to split them up, it might give one of us the edge we need."

"Split up?" Sasuke mumbled. "That's an idiotic idea, Sakura."

"What other chance do we have?" Sakura said, Her fingers were twitching at her side. "Either we fight them together and lose, or we fight them separately and have a _chanc_ e at winning."

His lip curled, and for an instant, his gaze flitted over to his pink haired friend. Her face was screwed up in a strange mixture of terror and determination, her emerald eyes darkened further than he had ever seen them.

Sasuke sighed. "... alright." he breathed. "Go."

"You got it." Sakura said. She sprung forward, her fist cocked. Tobi gasped, and leapt backwards-just in time, too, for the place where he'd been immediately _exploded_ beneath the power of Sakura's chakra infused punch.

"You're not going to get me like that, pinky!" Tobi called, having landed on a tree branch.

Sakura didn't respond, instead simply leaping after him again. Sasuke turned his attention to Deidara, through the creak and _thump_ of a tree hitting the ground wasn't lost on his ears. _'Be safe, Sakura.'_ he thought, hefting his sword up. He thought back to the words that Kakashi had always thumped into their heads, again and again, that those who refused to help their comrades were worse than scum. He _would_ kill this Deidara, Sasuke thought, and he wouldn't let that orange masked freak put a finger on his teammate. And if he failed…

… well, Sasuke didn't want to think about what would happen if he failed.

Cool blue eyes stared down at him, framed by blonde hair that waved in the wind. Sasuke's heart clenched at those familiar colors-but he refused to show any outside change, aside from a slight lowering of his blade.

There was a moment of silence, only broken by the distant sounds of Sakura in her attempt to bring down that Tobi. Sasuke frowned-something about the orange mask wearing idiot had struck him as… off-yet he couldn't place his finger on it. And he didn't have time to figure out what it was, either.

Sasuke swallowed.

He bent his legs slightly, and Deidara-still high up upon his bird- tensed.

Sasuke sprung into action faster than the eye could see. With a resounding _thunk_ , he jammed his sword into the ground; his fingers flew through hand seals, and then he cupped them around his mouth. _'All I need is to wing him.'_ Sasuke thought.

" _Katon: Phoenix Flower no Jutsu!_ " A multitude of fireballs exploded from Sasuke's mouth like the barrel of a canon, the flaming spheres spreading out in Deidara's direction in an irregular pattern.

Deidara bobbed and weaved on his great clay beard; it was clear that he was well aware of the danger the potent fireballs could put him in. All it would take is a single miscalculation on the blonde's part, and his C2 would be for naught-after all, fire and clay did not match, and clay was most certainly not going to be the winner of that engagement. Especially not when it was against _Uchiha_ fire.

No Akatsuki member was going to be brought down by such a paltry move, however, something that Sasuke knew well. It was a move designed to get one of two reactions-either Deidara would retreat higher, to the safety of the skies, where his attacks would be that much easier to dodge… or he would come closer, and risk Sasuke being able to attack him for a return of being able to score a hit on the Uchiha that much easier.

It was a calculated risk on Sasuke's part, because his long range arsenal was… lacking, to say the least. Deidara could possibly wear him out through sheer attrition if he wasn't careful.

Deidara seemed to be reluctant to do either; so Sasuke gave him a little incentive to choose.

He gathered chakra in his finger tips. With a casual flick, Sasuke sent a virtual barrage of bright blue senbon-like projectiles at Deidara, the senbon spread out in a wide net designed to _force_ him to move up or down. " _Chidori Senbon!_ "

Deidara chose to go down.

"Hmph." Deidara grunted. Once he was safely out of the Chidori Senbon's net, he was ready to go on the offensive. The mouth of his great clay dragon opened-and a flurry of animal-shaped missiles burst forth.

The first two went squarely for Sasuke. All it took was a simple backflip to evade them, the ground where he had stood not a moment before turning into a gently smoking crater. The next two, however, were aimed for something else-namely, Sakura. Who had her back turned to Deidara, as she was still engaged with Tobi.

Sasuke threw himself to the side, holding up the arm that he wasn't using to carry his sword. A burst of blue light appeared from the tip-and suddenly, a kind of pointed beam came forth, springing to full length near instantaneously. The incoming missiles were scythed in half by Sasuke's _Chidori Eiso_ , and the remaining halves fell to the ground with wet plops.

He raised an eyebrow.

Sakura didn't turn around-more likely than naught, she didn't even know that Sasuke had likely just saved her from losing a limb. He didn't have time to think about that, or the non-exploding remnants of the missiles, for Deidara was conducting yet another assault.

The clay dragon's mouth opened once again. This time, it took a moment for the missle to build up-but when it came this time, it was a size previously unmatched, and at a speed a non-sharingan eye would find difficult to keep up with. It came directly for Sasuke.

Sasuke evaded it (the first time) by simply throwing himself to the side. It seemed to be a controllable missile-and it turned around in midair, heading straight back for Sasuke. He dodged it a second time. Then a third.

Finally, the fourth time around, Sasuke decided to merely test out a hypothesis he had. Truth be told, he wasn't exactly sure about this-but if he _was_ correct in his thinking, then this battle was over before it truly begun.

Sasuke's sword began to crackle with electricity, shimmering in the sunlight. He brought it forth, and with a deft slash, cut the missiles in half. The two severed halves went flying on either side of him-and he waited with bated breath to see if his theory was confirmed.

It was.

' _Lightning invalidates it.'_ Sasuke thought.

This fool had elected to take on an opponent who had the element that countered nearly _everything_ he could throw at him. If Deidara wasn't an S-rank shinobi… he would have lost by now. If he had fought anyone else, he likely could have won.

But against Uchiha Sasuke, he simply didn't stand a chance.

Sasuke darted forward-well aware that the dangers of jumping up to Deidara's bird had suddenly evaporated. Before, he had been afraid that the blonde could simply blast him out of the air; now he knew that a simple burst of Chidori Nagashi would negate that. He intended on putting an end to this as soon as possible, and this was his chance.

"Sakura!" Sasuke called.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that his teammate and Tobi had reached a sort of lull. Tobi looked none worse for wear-standing atop a tree branch above Sakura. The pink haired girl however seemed tired, her chest heaving up and down, her hair sweaty.

She turned for a second.

All it took was for a brief second's eye contact for her to know what he wanted. As Sasuke came barreling up to her at full speed, Sakura readied herself.

Sasuke leapt into the air.

Sakura caught him.

Then she threw him, chucking him as a pitcher might a baseball. He was quite literally a human missile-and true to his assumptions, Deidara _did_ try to blast him out of the sky.

A white missile came from the dragon's mouth, and went straight from him. Deidara seemed unabashed, clearly not worried, under the impression that Sasuke was about to meet a gory end.

Not a chance. _'Chidori Nagashi!'_ he thought with malice, and the air around him exploded. The clay missile was no more, and less than a second later, Sasuke made landfall on top of the bird.

Deidara's blue eyes widened.

Sasuke smirked.

It was over.

All it had taken was for Deidara to meet Sasuke's eyes for even the slightest instant, and he was caught in genjutsu. Powerless to do anything, Deidara watched stiffly as Sasuke jammed his sword through Deidara's chest.

The clay bird disintegrated beneath them, and they went plummeting to the ground. Sasuke landed on his feet; Deidara on his back, a spurt of blood escaping his mouth as he hit the ground.

"You.." Deidara whispered. His hands twitched uselessly at his side.

There was a feminine grunt. Sasuke turned around-only to jump with a start as he watched Sakura's limp body be flung across the clearing.

A spell of quiet descended upon Sasuke.

Even the sound of Deidara's last breaths seemed to fade.

The man turned to him, knuckles bloody and bruised. "That… _fool_." His voice, darker in tone and timbre than Sasuke thought possible. "I told him not to underestimate you-and yet he still managed to be defeated in less than ten minutes. How utterly… pathetic."

Sasuke took a step back. "What the-" He looked over at Sakura-sprawled across the ground a fair ways from both he and 'Tobi'. He was relieved to see her chest still heaving up and down.

"I hope you do not judge the Akatsuki too harshly for allowing fools like Deidara into our ranks." 'Tobi' said, as he took a few steps in Sasuke's direction. "When one is looking for S-rank shinobi, especially rogue ones, there is not much variety that one can take. I suppose he got his job done well enough… I have you right here on a silver platter."

Sasuke grit his teeth.

He ripped his sword from Deidara's gut, and hefted it up. "Don't think you're going to take me easy… whoever you are." Sasuke said.

If the mask hadn't been obscuring the man's features, Sasuke could have sworn he had been smirking. "Come try your hand at me then." the man said flatly.

Sasuke was never known for his patience.

When he charged forward, there was a dozen plans running through his mind.

None of them accounted for 'Tobi' suddenly flickering in front of Sasuke, and battering his blade out of the way. Sasuke only had time to widen his eyes slightly before Tobi's foot found itself implanted in his gut-and Sasuke went tumbling to the ground.

It hadn't even been a fight. Effortlessly, Tobi had taken him out-such was the power of the Akatsuki.

He stood over Sasuke's prone boody.

Tobi bent a hand down, reach to fasten it onto Sasuke's collar. "With you…" he murmured, almost to himself. "That idiot jinchuriki will be sure to walk right into our trap."

"Sorry! Not going to happen!"

A puff of smoke.

Suddenly, a grinning blonde replaced Sasuke. Tobi blinked, clearly caught off guard for a moment; then it hit him. _'Kawarimi.'_

Tobi whirled around, only to see a field over clones in front of him. Rows upon rows, hundreds, thousands… he couldn't even begin to count them. All of them, that same grinning blonde.

"You're not going anywhere!" one of them declared.

Then, they all charged at once.

* * *

Naruko hurried through the trees. Slung over one shoulder was Sakura, who was on the brink of unconsciousness. "Jeez, Sasuke!" she hissed, as he hobbled alongside her. "How do you get yourself into these situations?"

She had saved them-having come into the clearing and seen what was happening. Naruko had scooped up Sakura, summoned the shadow clones, and then had one of her clones kawarimi with the trapped Sasuke. They had left the clones behind to hold off the Akatsuki member while they had run into the treeline, hopefully having enough time to make their escape.

Sasuke was pale. Even paler than usual, to the point where he appeared quite ghastly. "That man… was strong… far- _far_ stronger than I could have imagined." He shuddered. "I let my guard down… I thought that if the blonde idiot was easy to deal with, then _he_ would be too."

"Apparently not." Naruko scoffed. "And what do you mean blonde idiot?"

"The Akatsuki member." Sasuke said. "I killed him, that much is for sure. He'd have to get treatment from someone akin to the sannin Tsunade to survive that wound."

Naruko's nose wrinkled slightly. "That guy… he's tearing through my clones like butter." she murmured. "I think he's trying to get away in order to catch up with us-but my shadow clones aren't giving him a chance."

"Good." Sasuke said. "We need to meet up with the others, _fast_."

"Alright!" Naruko said.

They moved as fast as they could. Eventually, as Sasuke recovered a little, they took to the branches-Naruko continuing to relay status reports on her clones to him. One thousand left. Nine hundred left. Seven hundred left. And only brief intervals between each hundred Narukos dispatched.

"We've put a lot of distance between us and him." Naruko insisted, as Sasuke continued to push them faster and faster. "He can't teleport, Sasuke."

He didn't let up, and despite Sakura's weight, they continued on.

"Three hundred." Naruko wheezed. Having memories of yourself being killed nearly a thousand times in less than an hour could be a little disturbing.

"Just keep moving…" Sasuke murmured.

"Two hundred…" These were ballpark guesses by now. Her clones were going so fast that she couldn't keep track.

Sakura stirred slightly.

"One hundred…"

Sasuke swallowed. Any second now, and he was going to be after them.

"Fifty…"

" _There you are!"_

Salvation.

Relief flooded through Sasuke as the familiar figure of Jiraiya greeted them.

"No time to talk, ero-sennin." Naruko said. "We've got the Akatsuki on our tail, and he just finished up the last of my clones-he'll be after us any second now, and I can't make another thousand without killing myself."

Her chakra reserves were large, yes, but shadow clones were a tricky business. She could make a hundred extraordinarily strong ones-or ten thousand ones that were paper thin. Sure, she could make another thousand shadow clones… but if all it took was a good fireball to get rid of them, then there was no point. It was just a waste of chakra.

"The Akatsuki?" Jiraiya said.

She shrugged. "Big black and red cloaks. The one that's killing my clones has an orange mask on, too."

Jiraiya looked at Sasuke.

"We killed an Akatsuki member…" Sasuke said. "... but his partner-it was as if he was hiding in plain sight. He was practically playing with Sakura when I was fighting with the dead Akatsuki member. It was like he _wanted_ him to die. Once his partner was taken care of, the mask came off… not literally."

Jiraiya blinked. "What did he do?"

"He took out me and Sakura like we were nothing." Sasuke said. "He was about to… take me, _somewhere_ , before Naruko came in and helped me. I think-I think it was a trap. He said something about… about that if he had me, then Naruko would walk straight into his trap."

"He used Naruko's name?" Jiraiya said.

Sasuke shook his head. "He used the term 'jinchuriki'."

Sakura stirred. Green eyes fluttered open gently, yet she did not make a sound, neither did she move to alert them to her newly awakened state.

"How on earth does he know you two are dating?" Jiraiya said. "I-well, there's nothing to it, I suppose. That Akatsuki member won't dare attack you three with me around, I can guarantee it. Let's just rendezvous with the others, and get out of here. We killed one of the Akatsuki members, and that's better than nothing."

Sasuke and Naruko nodded in turn.

They set off.

Blood.

It covered the front of his jacket. His hands. Even his skin.

There was a dead look in Shikamaru's eyes as Sasuke, Naruko, Jiraiya and an awakened Sakura landed in front of him.

"What happened?" Jiraiya asked.

Shikamaru shook his head, as if just noticing that they were there. He opened his mouth to speak-before closing it. Shikamaru closed his eyes, turning his head away from them.

"Asuma-sensei's dead…" Shikamaru whispered. "An Akatsuki member killed him."

They were all struck by a… _sadness_. Konoha had changed a lot in the past generation-where once, the mission was praised above all else, the village had come to the point where it prioritized shinobi over money. It was a proud thing, to be a part of the village that boasted a ninety-five percent survival rate on missions, compared to other countries that averaged around eighty percent. So when one of their comrades did die… it hit hard, especially considering the 'brotherhood' of sorts that Konoha shinobi tended to form.

Naruko was especially shocked. She took a step back, as if Shikamaru's murmur had physically knocked her back. Her blue eyes were widened, her blonde hair seeming to go limp.

"He's- he's dead?" Naruko gasped.

Shikamaru nodded dumbly. "The Akatsuki members got away. Kakashi-sensei went ahead and sealed the body."

After that, he walked off.

Sasuke glanced at his girlfriend. "... Naruko?" he murmured.

Her lip wobbled. "I…" she began, but her voice cracked. Something akin to a sob burst forward from her lips-but before anything else could come out, she had torn off, rushing into the treeline and leaving her comrades behind in the clearing.

" _Naruko!_ "

Sasuke followed-Jiraiya and Sakura left to stare at their backs as they disappeared.

"They really are dating…" Sakura murmured.

Jiraiya put a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Just leave them to it, kid." was all he said.

* * *

She was just running.

She didn't know where.

Or why.

No… she knew why.

Asuma had only been on this mission because of _her._

He, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji… they had only been sent because Naruko had _insisted_ on coming on this mission.

Sasuke found her after a moment. Her back was pressed against a tree trunk. She looked distraught, twigs and branches stuck in her hair, the orange jumpsuit that she was wearing torn in several places. It seemed that she had lost one of her sandals in the run.

"I killed him…" Naruko whimpered. Tears flowed down her features freely; she looked at Sasuke, and the tears only continued to pour. "I-Sasuke, I killed him… he's dead… he's dead because of me, Sasuke…"

Sasuke didn't know what to say.

Naruko stood up, and threw herself at him. He recoiled slightly-but relaxed, as she had only meant to hug him. She pressed her face into his shirt, and let loose, unable to hold back _anything_ at this point.

She sobbed into his shoulder for what seemed like forever. "I killed him…" she chanted, as if it were her mantra.

Naruko had never killed before. She had never even _hurt_ anyone, unless you counted the bruises she left on Sasuke after a training session.

The idea that she had been solely responsible for a comrade's death was…

"I killed him…!" she cried into Sasuke's shoulder, as he rocked her back and forth.

Sasuke closed his eyes.

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. He felt… _pathetic_ , useless, completely and totally invalid in a situation where his girlfriend was suffering.

"... I'm sorry." he whispered, though it wasn't loud enough for her to hear.

Sasuke continued to rock her back and forth.

"... I'm so sorry, Naruko…"

* * *

 **So... uh... try not to judge me too harshly for that fight scene. I probably could have done it better-but pretty much all of Deidara's 'big' techniques came from him wanting to kill Itachi. No fight against Itachi, and he loses any chance of winning a fight against Sasuke. Sorry to any Deidara fans out there.**

 **Next chapter things will slow down a little, but there will be a lot of time for interactions. Stay tuned!**

 **Don't forget to leave a review! Seriously, you have no idea how much it can hurt to sink hours upon hours of my time into writing something only to get a paltry amount of reviews. All it takes is 30 seconds out of your day to _really_ improve mine-so please, just do it. I don't really care if you want to drop a thirty paragraph review detailing everything you love, or a simple one. Just do it.**

 **Thanks. And have an awesome day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**There is a lemon in this chapter, fair warning.**

 **Anyway, this is the first chapter of the new year, and it's quite a doozy. I'm sure the five people who read this have been clamouring for it, so I hope this doesn't disappoint. Don't forget to leave a review, and to favorite and follow if you already haven't.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

He held her close, and continued to rock her back and forth long after her sobs had begun to subside. She shook in his hands, and Sasuke couldn't bring himself to let her go, even for a second to readjust the uncomfortable position they had found themselves in.

Sarutobi Asuma was an unfamiliar name to him. He'd heard of him, certainly, even seen his face on the Sandaime's family tree when they had been studied the Hokage in the academy; but Sasuke doubted he had ever even talked to Asuma. His death hurt, as the death of all comrades did, but Sasuke knew that he would get over it.

Naruko, though, Naruko was a wholly different breed of person compared to Sasuke. She felt strongly for everyone, not just a few handpicked people that Sasuke was still making his mind up about.

"He- he's in a better place." The words that escaped his mouth were clumsy, as one might expect. Her sobbing didn't intensify much to his relief, but she certainly didn't feel any better from his 'comforting' words. "A better place…"

"Shut up," Naruko whispered, and Sasuke couldn't help but wince.

It seemed to take ages for her shaking to stop.

Sasuke looked down.

Naruko looked up. Her blue eyes shimmered, ugly blotches of red scattered about her tear stained cheeks. Her whiskers stretched, her lips wobbled, and that tortured expression that marred her features made his gut clench.

"Sa- Sasuke." she managed to force out.

He swallowed. "... yeah?"

She stared into his eyes a moment longer, unflinchingly, unknowing or uncaring of the tears that still poured down her cheeks.

Then, Naruko tipped her head upward, and captured his lips in a kiss that was equal parts clumsy and awkward.

Sasuke recoiled, because the salty taste of tears was not something he often found himself partaking in when he kissed her. Not to mention, you know, she had just been _sobbing_ into his chest and the next moment she was pressing everything against him-and now was not the time when he could allow her curves to tempt him into doing something they'd regret.

With great difficulty, he managed to ease her off of him.

"Naruko?" Sasuke said. "What are you doing?"

She clawed at the collar of his shirt, and pushed him onto his back. "Please." she rasped, her voice croaked; tears dripped from her eyes and down onto his cheeks. "I need this, Sasuke-I _need_ it."

It didn't take a Hokage to realize what 'it' was. "Naruko, we can't." he said. "You're not in your right mind, it would feel- it would be wrong."

"I don't care if it feels wrong!" Naruko said. "I need to get my mind off of it, somehow." She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a moment. "I just feel so terrible right now, Sasuke-there's this ache in my gut, my heart, and it just _won't go away_..! But…" She drifted off.

"But what?" Sasuke asked, his tone solemn.

"When I'm with you, I always feel so good." she whispered, voice a breath on the wind. "When we're-" She audibly swallowed. "When we're making love, I feel amazing; so please, Sasuke, please just _help_ me. Get my mind off of this pain, I can't stand it, I just can't. Please."

Sasuke turned his head, and refused to meet her gaze.

She wasn't in her right mind, Sasuke reasoned. Girlfriend or not, to take advantage of someone who was so stricken with grief and guilt felt unbearably wrong. He was an Uchiha-he had his pride, his dignity, but more importantly, he had the brains to know that sleeping with her then and there wouldn't fix a thing. If anything, it would make everything worse once they were finished, because the pain would come back full throttle.

He had a decision to make, but it was one he'd already decided on moments ago.

"We can't." Sasuke said, and left it at that.

Naruko was silent for a long minute, and the only sound that Sasuke could hear was the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears.

"... fine." Naruko rasped.

She rolled off of him, and fell onto her back beside him. They stared up at the canopy above them-boyfriend and girlfriend, one stricken with grief and the other afflicted with a sense of guilt over not being able to help the other.

His chest heaved up and down, as did hers. They were still exhausted after all-Sasuke from his fight and subsequent flight, and Naruko from summoning over a thousand (to be fair, _weak_ ) clones that were systematically destroyed.

"Do you think they're going to be mad at me?" Naruko asked. She was abnormally quiet.

"Who?"

"Shikamaru. Choji. Ino." she murmured. "I lead them here, I lead their sensei here-honestly, they have every right to be mad at me; they have every right to _hate_ me, even."

"I don't think they will." Sasuke said.

"Why is that?" she said.

"Call it a gut feeling." he said. "I don't know them that well, but I remember them from the academy and the chunin exams and such. They're not the kind of people who would hold a grudge against you for that."

"... maybe." Naruko whispered. "Maybe you're right; but for some reason, I just don't believe they could be that selfless."

"When you're stuck with all that pain, Naruko, there's a lot of things you wouldn't believe." he said.

They were silent.

"Sasuke?" Naruko said.

"Hm?"

"... nevermind." she murmured after an instant of hesitation.

"Okay." Sasuke said. He sat up, and shook a few leaves out of his hair. "It's probably best that we get back to the others; before they get worried and start looking for us."

"Sure." Naruko said, and the hollowness in her voice made his throat dry; but he knew he had made the correct decision.

Right?

They both got up, and dusted the dirt and leaves off of their clothing. Sasuke made to walk-but Naruko stopped him. She grabbed his wrist with her thin yet powerful fingers.

The smallest of smiles spread across her face, as she calmly linked her fingers with his own.

Sasuke frowned, ever so slightly. "If we walk back like this.."

"... then they'll know about us." Naruko said. "I know, Sasuke, and I don't care; I just really don't care at all anymore. Let them know."

"Alright." he said softly, and her interlinked his hand with hers as well.

The two of them walked, hand in hand, back through the trees. It was quiet aside from the crunching of leaves beneath their sandal, and Sasuke couldn't help but bask in that blissful silence-though he couldn't help but long for that typical timbre of Naruko's voice, so bright, the brightest thing in his life and though he normally hated those sort of things he just couldn't bring himself to hate _anything_ about her.

For a girl he had met once upon a time in a bar, she had enraptured him like no other. Then again, they _would_ have met anyway; but who knows what could have happened if they'd met later? At that family dinner, the two of them could have grown to spite one other. Maybe they would have become rivals, instead of the lovers they were.

It was something that interested him to think about. Something to pass the time as they walked through the wood.

The campsite was quiet when they returned to it. The remnants of Team Asuma huddled around the fire, while Kurenai quietly sobbed in a corner of the camp. Kakashi and Jiraiya talked, and Sakura prodded the flame with a stick, a pensive look in her eyes.

"Hey." Sakura said, as Naruko and Sasuke came up to her-their arms still linked. "So you two are dating then. Congratulations."

It should be obvious that her tone implied anything but.

"Thanks." Naruko said. "I'm- I'm going to go talk to Jiraiya for a second, Sasuke." _Jiraiya?_ She never called him just Jiraiya. "I'll get back to you in a bit."

"Alright." Sasuke said.

Naruko walked off, dragging her feet across the grass. Sasuke sat down beside Sakura, who pointedly scooted about a foot away from him.

"Something wrong?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura clicked her teeth. "No." she said. "Nothing at all."

He frowned. "You know you've never been a good liar, Sakura." Sasuke said.

She rolled her eyes. "As callous as ever, Sasuke; I'm surprised someone like Naruko would even want to _date_ you." The way she said date, you'd think that it was the antichrist in her world.

"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura paused. She bit her lip, and turned her gaze back to the fire. "It just-it just _hurts_ , okay?"

"What hurts?"

"Kami, you're an idiot." Sakura said. "I mean, I've been over you for a while now, Sasuke-kun; maybe even for years. But it just hurts to see that. You didn't even know who she was a few months ago, and yet she just waltzes into your life and steals your heart like it was _nothing_. And me, I tried for months and years, I tried since we were kids and you didn't even pay a second glance."

"... oh." Sasuke said.

Sakura shook her head, and Sasuke couldn't help but silently agree with her statement that he was indeed an idiot.

"I didn't realize that-"

"-that I _was_ truly in love with you, even if I'm not anymore?" Sakura said. "Well, I wouldn't expect you to, Sasuke; that's what kind of person you are, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's not that I hate Naruko, I don't hate the fact that you two are together-in fact, I feel happy for you two. It's just- it's just I needed to get that off of my chest."

"I see."

"No, you don't." Sakura said. "But at least you're trying to."

Sasuke frowned. "... I'm not sure what you expect me to say."

"In a perfect world, you would say that you're sorry and leave it at that." she said. "I know you, though, and I know that you would never say sorry for something as trivial as a girl's young love." She swallowed. "So let's just pretend like you said sorry, and leave it at that. Okay?"

He was silent for a long moment.

Had she really…?

He'd thought that it was just a crush.

"... okay." Sasuke said.

Naruko came back over a moment later, and sat down next to Sasuke. She grabbed his hand once more, and though the redness in her eyes and on her cheeks showed her previous state of grief, she appeared to be marginally better now. At least she wasn't crying, Sasuke thought.

"Ero-sennin says that we're going to head back to the village first thing tomorrow." Naruko said. "They might have a Yamanaka go through your head or something, Sasuke; just so they can confirm that you killed an Akatsuki member or something. I don't know why they wouldn't just take you at your word."

"Things are never that simple." Sakura said.

Naruko blinked at her. "Yeah, I guess." she said. "What's the point of making it such a pain, though? Bureaucracy is dumb."

Sasuke chuckled. "I think that's an understatement." he said after a moment.

Naruko smiled. It wasn't quite her normal grin-it would be a few days before she grinned again-but it warmed Sasuke's heart nonetheless.

She squeezed his hand reassuringly, and they fell silent, allowing the warmth of the fire to wash over them. Despite Kurenai's sobs, the bleak look on Team Asuma's face, the tear streaks down Naruko's cheeks, Sasuke knew that everything would be alright. It would be a while before things were normal, but he looked at it like this-he was alive, Naruko was alive, his friends and teacher were alive, and one of those accursed Akatsuki members lay dead.

Asuma prickled at the back of his mind, but he forced the man's shimmery and indistinct face back. He wouldn't allow that sully his memory of this moment (mostly) alone with Naruko.

The fire crackled, and Sasuke couldn't help but sigh as Sakura once more prodded it with a stick.

* * *

The urgency was gone, and their once rapid pace had slowed to something matching a funeral procession. The irony was not lost on Sasuke, but he still took the extra time to enjoy Naruko's company. And Sakura's, and Kakashi's, because quite frankly the sight of Team Asuma's grief had (at least briefly) inspired him to try and not be so distant with his squad.

Not that it worked out. Habits were habits, and Sasuke often found himself huddled with Naruko by the time they made camp. Sakura was still pleasant with him, if a little cool. Kakashi was strangely distant, but Sasuke didn't allow that to worry him.

Well, he did a little bit. But until they got home, Sasuke knew that Kakashi wouldn't do anything-not in the presence of Naruko, who would curse him to kingdom come if the silver haired jounin dared to speak up against their rapidly unveiled relationship.

"You seem a little more-"

"-a little more what?" Naruko asked, and she frowned.

Sasuke frowned as well. "A little more happy than you were last night." he said.

"Oh." she said.

It was the last day of travel before they reached Konoha, which was only a few kilometers away at most. They'd make it there before dust if they kept their current pace.

"Care to explain?" Sasuke asked.

"I had a bit of an epiphany." Naruko admitted. "And- well, it sort of helped me compartmentalize with the whole Asuma thing."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Compartmentalize?" he said.

She puffed her cheeks out. "Hey! Don't interrupt me, and- _hey!_ Don't act like I'm dumb either!"

Sasuke smirked, and steam practically rushed out of Naruko's ears. She reordered herself in record time though, as the blonde silently resolved to get back at him later.

"I thought about it last night, y'know? And I realized something." Naruko continued from her previous line of thought. "If I hadn't come, if I hadn't brought Asuma and them with me _to_ come-you'd be dead. You would be dead, and there's nothing that could have brought you back to me."

Sasuke remained silent.

"I know that maybe things could have turned out in a way where Asuma wouldn't have died." Naruko murmured. "But none of those things were really my fault, were they?"

"They weren't." Sasuke said. He allowed a moment's pause. "So are you-erm, over it?"

Naruko rolled her eyes. "It's not going to be _that_ easy." she said. "But I mean, I won't be sobbing over it anymore, I guess." _'At least, around you.'_ she thought. How embarrassing, that she had spent the better part of ten minutes staining the front of his shirt with her tears.

She had been saw raw at the time, so emotional, and silently, Naruko was glad that he had turned her down. It showed that he did care for her-it showed that yes, their relationship wasn't just a physical one anymore. If anything, it was _that_ which raised her spirits the most, because it helped to mend worries that she hadn't even realized she had.

"Good." Sasuke said. "I don't know about you, but having to deal with someone crying is more annoying than you can imagine. I remember this one time when were genin, and Sakura came across this wounded rabb-"

"Don't tell her that story!" Sakura snapped, and Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck.

They had gotten distracted, and drifted a little closer to the group-practically everyone had heard their conversation.

Naruko fell quiet. "Tell me the story." she said, and there was a grin on her face that make Sasuke's lips twitch.

"Sakura found it when we were on a D-rank mission." Sasuke murmured. "She sobbed and slobbered all over it, and begged Kakashi to heal it. She put the entire mission on hold, practically battered down the door of a veterinarian, and made them operate on the rabbit right then and there."

"Did it live?" Naruko asked.

"Barely." Sasuke said. "Sakura was practically fawning over it."

Naruko tapped her chin. "Why's she so embarrassed about that story any-"

"Wait, I wasn't done." Sasuke said. "We were in the operating room, and Kakashi was insisting that we had to get back on our mission. Sakura wasn't having any of it though-and right in the middle of cursing Kakashi out, she picked it up and it pissed all over the front of her shirt; some of it even got on her face."

Naruko's lips twitched. Then, she started giggling-then, she started laughing, almost uncontrollably.

"She got peed on by a rabbit?" Naruko said. "A rabbit whose life she saved?"

"You should have seen the look on her face." Sasuke said. "The last time she had a look like that, it was when she had caught somebody trying to peep up her skirt. It's not like she could take her anger out on a rabbit, though."

"She better not have taken her anger out on you." Naruko said protectively.

"No, she didn't." Sasuke said. "Sakura took it out on something else-she didn't have Tsunade's training then, so I _still_ don't know how she managed to rip that training post out of the ground and throw it ten meters."

Naruko grinned.

"I kind of wish I'd been on your team back then." she said. "It sounds like you guys had a lot of fun."

"From time to time." Sasuke admitted. "Most of the time Sakura was a pest-especially when she still had that crush on me-and Kakashi is always an annoyance, even to this day."

"You don't mean that." Naruko said, and she was grinning even more now.

Sasuke didn't respond, but the smirk on his lips was more than enough of an answer for her. They could be a pest, they could be an annoyance, they could be _anything_ -yet Sasuke knew that he would still see them as his team. His friends. His second family, even. This shouldn't need to be said, but he didn't give that designation lightly.

Instead he merely pursed his lips together, and cast his glance over to the former Team Asuma-who were at the front of the pack, though shuffled forward like a trio of zombies that were guided by a mere desire to get home and bury their deceased teacher.

"Do you think they'll ever be the same?" Naruko asked quietly.

Sasuke put himself in their place. Kakashi dead-his hands soaked with his blood, Sakura sobbing at his side and those mismatched eyes empty and dead forever.

"No." he said. "They won't."

Naruko didn't respond, but her fingers tightened around his.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, aside from a few bursts of meaningless conversation. Kakashi signed them in, as all it took was a simple flash of his sharingan for the guards to recognize him. He took it upon himself to take Kurenai home, and gave the scroll that contained Asuma's body to his team.

"Take this to the morgue." Kakashi had said to them, his voice grave. "They'll begin the preparations for his funeral immediately." It was a horrific job to give to Asuma's students-but Kakashi knew first hand that being the one to pass in the remnants offered a veil of closure, even if it was only a thin one.

Jiraiya heaved a dull chuckle. "Come on, pinky." he said, and slapped a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "We ought to give the two love birds some privacy-and I want to see whether you have Tsunade's iron gut."

"Iron gut for what…?" Sakura asked.

"I'll buy the first round." Jiraiya said. "There's nothing to get over lovesickness like a nice bottle of sake."

She bit her lip, and reluctantly went along with the sannin-thus leaving Naruko and Sasuke alone, the two stationary just inside of the village gates.

"I guess that leaves us to turn in the mission." Sasuke said.

"Do you think Kakashi-nii planned this?" Naruko asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "I doubt it." he said. "It sure does feel like one hell of a coincidence, though."

"I'm not sure I like coincidences." Naruko mumbled. "Because if we're going out with _us_ , then-well, I guess we'll have to break the news to Dad a lot sooner than I expected."

"Kami help me." Sasuke whispered.

Naruko chuckled. "I don't think even that will save you." she said. Her hand tightened around his, and she dragged him forward. "Welp, no point in putting it off!"

Sasuke followed along with obvious hesitation in every step he took.

The path to the Hokage's tower was wide open-it was practically a straight shot through the most prosperous areas of Konoha. Clearly a purposeful decision, so that any diplomats or foreign visitors would see the best that the village had to offer, and of course concealing from view the slums that tended to be gathered around the rim of the village's perimeter.

"Let's just report the mission first." Sasuke said. "We can get that out of the way."

"Now that I think about it, it does feel kind of wrong to overshadow Asuma's death with our little relationship…" Naruko admitted. "I mean, we could wait a few days to let the storm pass over. _Then_ we tell Dad about us. That'd be the most respectful way to do it, yeah?"

"Whatever you want to do, we'll do." Sasuke said. "Trust me, I'm not exactly eager to tell the Yondaime that I'm going out with his daughter, let alone sleeping with her."

Naruko grinned lecherously. "Oh, you did way more than just sleep with me." she said cheekily. "And I still need to pay you back for turning me down, mister!"

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm sure I can handle the 'consequences'." he said.

"When you put it like that, it doesn't sound like you're getting your _rightful_ punishment." Naruko said. "Do you want to change your tone?"

Again, he shook his head. "I'm so, so sorry for rejecting your advances, Naruko- _chan_." he said, sarcasm infecting every syllable. "What can I ever do to earn your forgiveness?"

"Never talk like that again." Naruko said, and she sounded a little nauseous. "The Sasuke I know would never say something like that."

"It was sarcasm." Sasuke said.

"I know." Naruko said. "But still, don't do it again."

They reached the entrance to the Hokage's tower just then, and made their way inside. The guards knew Naruko by sight, and let her right by-they walked up the long, looping staircase that lead all the way to the top, striding past office spaces and cramped storage rooms.

Sasuke made to knock on the door, but Naruko merely wrenched the knob and burst in. Thankfully the Hokage wasn't in a meeting or anything-it was just him, seated behind his desk with a mound of paperwork that nearly stacked up to his nose.

"Naruko." he said, and blinked. "Sasuke. Where are the others?"

"They had things to do." Sasuke said. "We're here to report to you the mission's outcome."

He kept it clean and simple. One Akatsuki member was dead. They had originally tracked two of them, but the other two had managed to evade KIba and the dog's noses-likely through a jutsu of some sort of unknown power-and had ambushed Sasuke and Sakura. Minato's face grew grave when Sasuke described what the other, not dead, Akatsuki member looked like.

"I see." Minato said, and his voice was level yet brimmed with a sort of seriousness that made Sasuke and Naruko alike stand rigid. The atmosphere in the room could have been cut with a knife or a katana, and Sasuke felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his forehead.

"Ino, Shikamaru and Choji took Asuma's body to the morgue." Naruko said. "Kakashi-nii took Kurenai to her house because she was practically going crazy-ero-sennin took Sakura-chan drinking too."

"Is that all there is to report?" Minato asked.

"Yes, Yondaime-sama." Sasuke said.

"Good. Sasuke, would you do me a favor and wait outside for a moment? I'd like to have a word with my daughter in peace."

"Of course." Sasuke bowed low, and then stepped out of the room-Naruko gave him one last look before she turned her attention back to Minato.

"What's up, Dad?" she asked.

"It's not your fault, sweetie." Minato said.

"... I know…" Naruko murmured.

"It's not your fault."

"I know!" Naruko said. "Don't worry, Dad. I- I'll be fine; honest."

"You will?" Minato asked, and his voice was full of worry.

"I will." Naruko said.

Minato nodded. "Go ahead and tell Sasuke that the two of you are dismissed. Normally, I'd ask for the entire team to be available tomorrow for the debriefing, but considering the circumstances, I think we can make an exception." Minato swallowed. "Good work out there, Naruko; I don't like to think about what would have happened if the Akatsuki had gotten their hands on a sharingan."

Naruko smiled. "Don't sweat it, Dad." she said. "See ya!" And she raced out of the door.

Sasuke had leaned against the wall just outside the office. They began to walk away from the office, and Sasuke didn't open his mouth until they were a good distance away-and even then, he kept his voice low.

"You know," he said. "I think the both of us could go and debrief a little." His tone was suggestive.

She grinned. "Oh, _now_ you're eager, huh?"

He shrugged. "What can I say?" he said. "I'm a man, and with a girlfriend like you…" Sasuke chuckled. "Besides, you said I had to make up for turning you down; now that you're not as freaked out as before, I have no problems with-what did you call it, 'making you feel good'?"

Naruko flushed slightly. "Alright, _fineee_." she huffed. "I guess we could head over to your apartment for some 'debriefing'."

Sasuke smirked.

It was with relative ease that the two of them navigated their way out of the building. Once they were through those big double doors, Naruko and Sasuke disappeared in a flicker-and a scant twenty seconds later, they appeared in front of the door to Sasuke's apartment.

Expertly, he unlocked it, and Naruko practically shoved herself inside. She had already kicked her boots off by the time he had closed the door behind them, and her shirt was already halfway over her head when Sasuke had relocked it.

"Eager?" Sasuke said, though he wasn't one to talk-he was already undoing his pants, allowing them to slide to the floor. He stepped out of them; then, was momentarily blindsided as Naruko threw her shirt at his face. He batted it away, only to (fortunately) _not_ bat away Naruko as she threw herself at him.

This time, he accepted her with open arms.

To their credit, they didn't have sex right then and there on the floor. On the other hand, they didn't make it to the bedroom-instead, they flopped right onto the couch, their bodies pressed against each other, lips interlocked, passion and electricity crackling between the two lovers.

Sasuke had never been more glad that he had turned her down before.

He could tell the difference between passionate sex, and something that was forced. The kiss from after she had finished her sobbing session had been empty, it had been a byproduct of her desire to _forget_ , not a desire to make love to him. This time though, he could feel the attraction, the pull that brought the two of them together.

His fingers were swift and nimble, and she jerked his boxers down without a care in the world. Sasuke moaned when she wrapped a hand around the base of his flaccid member, and gingerly began to stroke him. Naruko dipped her head down-one lick, two lick, as if she were sucking on a popsicle. A third lick, then a fourth, and her wonderful boyfriend was finally fully hard.

Naruko grinned in that infectious way of hers. Since they'd been on a mission, she didn't have a bra on-rather, chest bindings that were a little more easy to manage on the road. She gestured to them, and Sasuke instinctively began to undo them for her. Meanwhile, Naruko shrugged off her pants and her panties, and kicked them off of the couch.

He licked his lips as her breasts came into view. Wonderful, beautiful, plump and so perky-he couldn't help himself, and he moved forward, to take one of the orbs into his mouth and caress it with his lips and tongue. Naruko moaned as he nibbled at her teat; his tongue ran circles around her nipple, and his ever persistent hardness pressed against her knee.

"Back," she gasped, and he listened. "Lift your arms." He did so-and she took his shirt and flak jacket off for him, so that the two were both totally in the nude. The apartment already felt dreadfully hot, and both of their faces were flushed already.

She slid into his lap, and pressed her lips to his once more. Sasuke groaned in appreciation-the feel of her curves pressed against him sent his mind for a loop. His hands seemed to mould into her firm asscheeks, and he hefted her back a little, pulled her taut against his chest, so that his length poked against her thigh.

He spared one hand to slip between her legs, to tease that little nub of hers. It was wet, but he knew she needed a little more to be entirely ready. Two fingers slid inside of her with ease, and it was Naruko's turn to groan.

"Why the foreplay?" Naruko murmured.

Sasuke's lips curled upward ever so slightly. "You've never done it in this position before, have you?" He was still seated, and had placed his feet onto the floor. She was wrapped around him, her chest to his and her arms around his neck. "You have no idea how _deep_ I can go from this angle…"

Naruko shuddered. "I like the idea of that." she whispered. "How many other positions do you have up your sleeve, Sasuke?"

"I've got plenty." Sasuke said. "And if all else fails, I'm sure we can experiment."

"I wouldn't mind some experimenting." Naruko giggled. "Let's stick with this position for now, though."

"Sure." Sasuke said. His fingers were nimble, and Sasuke was no slouch when it came to any department of sex-her arousal had seemed to double in the short time he had fingered her, and already he was sure that his entrance would be with ease. It was time.

He pulled the digits out of her ever so slowly, the pointer and middle finger of his hand dripping her essence. Down his hand went, to wrap around the base of his member and bring it up-he had to poke around a little bit, since her body blocked his line of sight, but after a moment's pause he managed to find her little slit.

With a grunt, he pressed himself against it. "Ah, fuck." Sasuke cursed. "It's the tightness that always gets me." He grit his teeth-the head was all he had inside of her, yet it feel like his member was trapped inside of a vice. Two inches followed the head, and they were caressed so tightly that it almost _hurt_.

Naruko grinned. Improvisation was her forte, and she'd figured out that she could tighten herself around him the last time they had made love. That was a trick that was going to come in handy-especially for quickies. Still, she relinquished her grip on his length if just a little, so he didn't have to fight for every single millimeter that he sunk inside of her.

Both of them shared a moan as the rest of his length entered her. It was a heavenly sensation for the two lovers-Naruko's of being filled, and Sasuke's of the way her snatch would grip his member, even when she wasn't purposefully doing it.

He began to pull her up and down his shaft, veins and muscles rippled on his arms as he did so. Naruko rocked her hips in an effort to help him-and once more, she kissed him. It was fiery, and there were two places where they were joined as their tongues duelled in the thin space between their mouths.

"Let me handle this." Naruko whispered, and Sasuke leet out a groan as she took control. She put a hand on either side of his head to grip the back of the sofa. Then, she began to lower herself-up and down, up and down, her pace quicken and sped up, Sasuke moaned Naruko moaned. All they could see was each other, they were so close, she was so tight and he was so deep, all they could do was pant and moan and groan as the pleasure washed over their brains.

Sasuke had to stop her _just_ before he reached that plateau-he knew that she hadn't came yet, and there was no chance in hell that he would allow her to go even an ounce less satisfied than he was. It was with ease that he picked her up, and it was even easier for the Uchiha to bend her over the couch.

He stood, his broad frame dominating hers. Naruko moaned as he slid himself inside of her once more, and this time it was in the coveted doggy style position. If the penetration had been incredible before, now it was unreal-and Naruko's moans reached a peak as Sasuke began to thrust.

Sasuke bent forward, grasped her breasts and began to squeeze and tease them. He let one go after a moment, sunk his fingers in between her legs once more, and began to tease her. "Almost there, almost there-!" she moaned, almost desperately. Sasuke smirked and intensified his assault, because he was nearly there as well and there was nothing that could surpass the sensation of cumming together.

His willpower unfurled, and Sasuke used the last ace up his sleeve-her clit. A nudge, a push, and that was all Sasuke needed to ease Naruko into a mind numbingly pleasurable orgasm. The tightened state of her snatch overcame him, and he came inside of her.

"Naruko…"

"Sasuke…"

Heavy breathing filled the room.

Her snatch continued to spasm around him, and Sasuke's face twisted in pleasure as her walls eased the last drops of his seed out of his shaft. He had softened, but he was still inside of her-half hard at least, and that was all he needed to be in order to keep his essence packed into her, which was just the way Naruko liked it.

He leaned down, and began to nibble at the crook of her neck. "You're amazing…" Sasuke whispered. "If I ever lost you, I don't know what I'd do."

Naruko grinned, glad that her face had been pressed into the couch cushions or else her moans would have alerted all of Konoha to their love making. "You're not so bad yourself." she said.

Sasuke shook his head.

They stayed like that for quite a while-until slowly, the blood began to pump back into his member. Naruko grinned as she felt that hardness return, and Sasuke let out a groan as he began to thrust in and out of her again.

Needless to say, it was a long while before the mixture of masculine and feminine moans, groans and other sounds stopped echoing throughout the apartment.

* * *

"A reconnaissance mission?" Minato questioned. "Are you sure about this, sensei?"

Jiraiya waved him off. "It'll be fine." he said. "In and out-Amegakure's uncrackable to some, but the only place I haven't been able to get into is Tsunade's panty drawer."

Minato chuckled nervously. "Just be careful."

"Don't worry."

There was a grin on his face.

"... what could possibly go wrong?" Jiraiya said.

* * *

 **I'm an asshole, I know.  
**

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 **Have a nice day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**It's been a little over a month since I updated this, and I'm happy to say that I can drop another chapter for you all. This** _ **is**_ **my first published story on this website, so I'd like to finish it-I can say with confidence that we're over the halfway mark by this point; I have the definitive ending in mind, but it's only a matter of how we get there.**

 **Which is a journey I'm sure we can enjoy together. I have as much fun writing this as you do reading it; which, is why I'm going to tell you to leave a review. Because I've put hours and hours in this chapter alone, and the least you can do is spend two minutes to tell me what you thought about it.**

 **That's all I have to say before we get started, I suppose. Buckle up, and let's get go ahead and get started!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

As usual, Naruko's day started in a rather slow way.

She heaved herself up from her bed, wincing as placed her feet on the floor. Sure, the Kyuubi was a useful thing to have at the worst of time times, but its healing was typically only effective during battle; for whatever reason-probably out of spite-it did little to nothing to curb the soreness she felt in certain… _regions_ of her body. Soreness that made her walk as a crippled war veteran might, at least until she had adjusted to the constant stinging sensation.

It sucked, plain and simple. With no shortage of pain, Naruko hobbled into the bathroom, peeled off her clothes, and slid into the shower. She groaned as the water washed over her body-she wet her hair, scrubbed her skin down with a rag until it was pink, and thanked the kami that she had such luxury at her disposal.

Fifteen minutes later, she came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her frame, blonde hair done up in a messy bun. Blue eyes stared curiously at the window; it appeared she had gotten up earlier then she'd expected… after a night like that, she had expected to sleep in well past noon, but it looked as if it wasn't even eleven yet. A quick glance at her clock confirmed that: it was only ten fifty-two.

"Huh." She blinked, rubbing the back of her neck.

With a shrug, she allowed the towel to drop to the floor. It only took her a moment or two to get dressed: Naruko yanked on her undergarments, a pair of shorts, and a comfy t-shirt. She pulled her hair out of the bun, ran a brush through it for a minute or so, then rearranged the silky blonde locks into the pigtails reminiscent of her youth.

She liked the look. It made her look in the mirror and see her twelve year old self again, young, unencumbered… perhaps not free, but you couldn't have everything, right?

If only she had known Sasuke back then; and been allowed to wander around the village freely. Then, life in those days would have been beyond perfect.

But that was then, and this was now. And that meant she had to deal with all the crazy, bijuu hunting lunatics coming after her, not to mention a father who would probably stab her boyfriend's heart out the instant he learned of their relationship.

She shook her head, settling to just go ahead and get her day started.

Naruko opened her door, stepping out into the hallway with her pigtails swinging behind her. Her gait was still a tad bit off, but it was nothing that couldn't be explained as her limbs still being half-asleep.

She bounded down the stairs-a heavenly aroma filled her nose… that could only be the best thing in the world before Ichiraku's ramen… _her mother's cooking_. With a grin reminiscent of the sun, Naruko flew into the kitchen.

"Mom!" she said eagerly, flinging herself into a seat. "Is it ready yet?"

Kushina laughed, tucking a curl of red hair behind her ear. "Just about," she said, turning her head and giving her daughter a warm smile. "Hungry? You weren't here for dinner, so I'd imagine so."

Naruko smiled at her. "I ate with Sasuke, Mom… I hope you don't mind." It wasn't as if she was lying-she just neglected to mention the fact that they had eaten on his couch fully naked, during one of the few breaks they had taken that night.

"I trust he treated you like a gentleman?" Kushina asked, a warning tone in her voice.

The blonde giggled. "As much as Sasuke _can_ act like a gentleman," Naruko said, twisting one of her pigtails around her finger. Kushina rolled her eyes, deciding to return to cooking the family's lunch; Naruko licked her lips in anticipation.

Five minutes later, there was a yellow flash-and a new figure appeared at the head of the table.

"So," Minato said, as he tucked a three pronged kunai into his pocket. "What's for lunch today, dear?"

"Your favorite~!" Kushina cooed.

"You mean anything you make?" Naruko said, rolling her eyes. "Mom, Dad would eat a bag of dog food if you told him that you'd cooked it."

"Oh, quiet you!" Kushina said. "You would eat it too, so don't go pointing fingers at your father like that." The redhead grinned feverishly. " _I_ think it's cute that Minato loves my cooking so much; in fact, it's one of the reasons I decided to marry him."

"You should have seen me the first time I tasted her cooking. I was so shocked by how good it tasted that-" Minato began.

"-you were dead set on marrying Mom from that moment on," Naruko deadpanned. "I know, I know… I could plot out a timeline of your entire relationship with how much you two go on about it."

"You had better appreciate our love!" Kushina said, pointing a wooden spoon threateningly at her daughter. "It's the only reason you exist!"

Naruko stuck her tongue out at Kushina, who responded in kind; Minato merely shook his head.

The redhead once again stuck her tongue out at Naruko as she set down a steaming hot plate in front of her. On the other hand, she pressed a kiss to Minato's cheek as she provided her husband with his own food.

Minato was the dignified Hokage. Naruko was the borderline-hyperactive daughter.

Even then, both of them wolfed down their wife/mother's cooking as if there were a countdown timer before it disappeared. Naruko had only ever been able to match her father's prestigious speed when it came to one thing: the 'subtle' artform of eating Kushina's cooking. They'd even held competition once or twice-Naruko had won it every time but once, and that had been the day after Minato had told her about the Kyuubi.

He still insisted that it counted. Kushina and Naruko… for obvious reasons… disagreed.

"Gotta run!" Minato said about five seconds after he had finished his food-or around seven seconds after Naruko had finished her own. "Love you, both." He pressed a sloppy kiss to Kushina's cheek, ruffled Naruko's hair, then promptly disappeared in that signature flash of yellow.

Kushina rubbed the saliva on her cheek with a transcendent expression. "That man…" She sighed dreamily.

Naruko groaned.

She stood up from the table, fixing her hair from when her father had nearly yanked out one of her pigtails. As she was doing so, she asked: "Where's ero-sennin? I wanted to ask him something about my rasengan."

"On a mission..." Kushina murmured. She was still rubbing her cheek… it was a testament to her parent's affection for each other that it only took five seconds apart for one of them to become love sick. Unfortunately, it made Naruko sick as well-no daughter or son ever liked to see their parents be so mushy gushy around each other, especially so soon after eating.

Naruko rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go find the nearest brothel and search it for ero-sennin. Is that alright with you, _Mom_?"

"Have fun…"

The blonde giggled, and made her way out of the kitchen.

Kushina blinked. Then-

"Wait, _what_ did you say, young lady?!"

* * *

Sasuke threw himself to the side, and silently wished that he could be far, _far_ away from here.

Two massive snakes converged on the spot he had stood at less than three seconds before, kicking up a cloud of dirt and making a deafening racket. The wielder of said snakes-Anko-grinned like the mad woman she was.

"Stop being a wimp and fight me!" she called.

Typically, he would be able to battle and more than easily defeat Anko. Chidori, the sharingan, his sword… she was powerful, yes, but no match for an Uchiha genius.

Those odds were flipped. however, when a simple little rule was added to-as Anko termed it-'spice' up the playing field. It was a simple one: no jutsu were allowed aside from snake based ones; no taijutsu, no genjutsu, no sharingan either.

Basically, any advantage he had was stripped away; not to mention he was put up against someone that had fifteen years of experience in snake summoning on him. Needless to say, the results were… not favorable for him, and that was putting things lightly.

' _I need to catch her off guard. That's the only way I'm going to have a chance…'_

There was no time to come up with any sort of plan-the instant he'd completed that thought, Sasuke was forced to throw himself to the side again… and once more, two massive snakes pulverised the place where he had stood an instant before.

The ground was littered with craters; and more than a few trees had been toppled as well. High in the air, the sun shone-throwing light upon the carnage below.

Sasuke inhaled deeply… he crouched low to the ground, inhaling the sickly scent of whatever grass hadn't been uprooted by Anko's powerful attacks. He made a snap decision; with the grace befitting a shinobi of his caliber, he did a backflip, disappearing into the foliage.

"Oh! Don't think you can hide from me, mister!" Anko shouted. "I don't need any chakra sensing to find you here, Sasuke!"

' _For the love of…'_ Sasuke thought, having made his way to (what he hoped) was a secure position. _'How did I manage to sleep with this woman and survive?'_

He didn't remember any snakes from that night. Or handcuffs. Or anything that you would have figured would come with the 'Anko' package. Then again, he didn't remember much from that night… he had drank a lot…

" _PEEK-A-BOO!"_

In the distance, a tree toppled, a large explosion ringing through the air. Sasuke winced… he needed a plan, and he needed one before a borderline-psychotic Anko killed him.

He blinked exactly once.

Then, it hit him.

Anko crept through the trees. Her violet hair had fallen from its signature ponytail… and there was a frenzied, borderline maniacal grin on her face.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" she called-a snake extended from each of her sleeves, coiling and bobbing from side to side, eerie hissing noises filling the forest.

She was silent-though she was moving through an area where leaves littered every inch of the ground, she made not a sound. Anko was a kunoichi… a dangerously skilled one at that, one who had been taught in stealth and espionage even if she was not the best at 'conventional' battles. This was her element; in her mind, Sasuke had put himself right in her hands. And she was not the type to show mercy, even in a spar.

Her eyes flitted from side to side. Her ears perked up, listening for the slightest of sounds… she was ready, she was waiting, and all she needed was a single mistake on his park to strike. "Shh." The snakes quieted down at her command: their intimidation factor might be useful here, but more useful was absolute silence.

Anko held her breath.

The sound of a pair of feet landing on a branch startled her-she looked up… only to see a snake rocketing towards her like a whip.

It hissed at her, slowing just before it would have hit her… she had raised up her arms to deflect a bite. In the instant after it stopped, Anko saw the explosive tag that dangled from its tongue… the one that was currently sparking, the fuse nearly gone…

Her eyes widened to near dinner plate proportions. There was no time, but she tried… she threw herself back...

The snake allowed the explosive tag to fall from its mouth. With something that looked suspiciously like a wink, the creature promptly disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The world _exploded_.

Earth and smoke was thrown everywhere-Anko couldn't see… she had just barely managed to clear the explosion, but her snakes had not been so fortunate, the two creatures forced to dispel before they were pulverized. If there had been shrapnel in that explosive tag, she would have been dead a dozen times over.

Anko rolled and rolled, hair flying in her face and dirt obscuring her vision. As soon as she settled, Anko scrambled to her feet… but it too late. Sasuke had seized the opportunity to strike, and he was not the type to show mercy either.

She had made to summon the chakra necessary for another summon; but she couldn't… for the simple reason that a snake had wrapped around her waist, coiling around her as a rope might. Its head wrapped around her shoulder… fangs poised to bite into her exposed neck at a moment's notice.

"I win," Sasuke said from behind her. The snake that was wrapped around her extended from his sleeve… it wasn't quite as big or intimidating as hers had been, but Sasuke knew that he needed neither in a fight.

Anko did not move a muscle, but she did grit her teeth. "I thought we agreed-" She paused. "Son of a… I didn't specify ninja tools, did I? How careless of me." She chuckled. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected any less from an Uchiha; it's not as if your clan is known for fighting honorably…"

"Only those who lose speak of honor," Sasuke said. "Now, forfeit."

She sighed. "I forfeit. You win… this time at least..." Anko murmured.

The snake coiled around her dispelled; Anko let out a breath, that sensation of fresh air rushing unimpeded into her lungs a god send.

She took a moment to pull her hair back a ponytail. "Well," Anko said. "I suppose that's all I can really teach you by this point. All you have to do is keep practicing, keep bonding with your snakes, and you'll be a master at snake summoning in no time."

Sasuke nodded. He gave her a slight bow, the barest hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Take care, Anko."

"You too, kid," she said. She puffed her chest out rather suggestively. "And if you ever break up with that girl… you know where to find me." With a wink, Anko disappeared in a gentle swirl of leaves.

He shook his head.

' _That woman is a maniac.'_ Sasuke thought decisively.

He disappeared in a flicker not a moment later… leaving some other poor soul to clean up the crater-littered, gently smoking forest.

* * *

Naruko rubbed her chin.

It was quiet that night, aside from the chirping that filled the silence-not to mention the ever present, ever distant sound of the village… people talking, laughing, _living_.

She was poised in front of her desk, a book on the wind element in front of her… a book she had spent the past hour or so reading, yet had only gotten through the first ten pages of. It was a long and arduous process, and one she scarcely thought was going to be finished by the time the month was out.

A book teetered on the edge of her desk. It was an Icha Icha book… one she had… erm… 'borrowed' in order for 'research' purposes. Or in other words, she really wanted to see what kind of fun things she and Sasuke could do the next time they had sex.

Naruko took a deep breath, reluctantly flipping to the next page in her book.

There was a sound-she jumped, but it was just her accidently knocking the Icha Icha book onto the floor. Naruko reached down to pick it up… on the back, Jiraiya's face grinned cheekily up at her.

She set it down on the desk, and went back to her reading.

* * *

 **A nice chapter, short and sweet, tidying up some things and expanding on others. Next chapter should be a fun one, so stay tuned.**

 **As always, I'm going to tell you to favorite, follow, and leave a review. I put a lot of work into these chapters, and really, it is not a lot to ask for these very simple things. A single review can help to influence a writer to write even more awesome (** _ **free**_ **) content for you guys, and there is literally no reason not to. So go ahead and leave a review.**

 **Thank you for reading; as always, have an awesome day.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Another chapter. I'm hoping to finish the story relatively soon, so let's hope my recent writing slump decides to alleviate. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sasuke tugged at the collar of his shirt, rolling his head from side and side.

He could already picture their reactions. His father would heave a grunt, give his girlfriend a once over, then proceed to stew in silence for the rest of the night. His mother would likely squeal and glomp him, then Naruko, then him again for good measure. It was hard for him to figure out how Itachi would react; would it be stunned silence? That consistent stoic outlook that he'd had on everything from the age of six? Or perhaps Itachi would activate his sharingan and try to kill Naruko for 'defiling' his baby brother?

Okay, maybe the second option was probably the most likely. It didn't mean that Sasuke ruled out the more extreme possibilities, though.

The air was cool, the night young, the village's atmosphere slightly muted by the gentle fog that hung in the air. Lights glimmered above him as he walked down yet another of Konoha's wide streets, a spider web that sent down vibrant shades of gold and amber onto the people meandering below.

He took a deep breath. Dinner, dinner, dinner - dinner with the family was one thing, dinner with his family and Naruko's had been another, but going about dinner with his family accompanied by Naruko, and introducing her as his girlfriend was an entirely different matter.

Still, it was time. He wasn't one to hide and sneak about, but a small piece of him could admit that it _had_ been fun… for a while. Now it was more an annoyance - and a threat to their relationship potentially. _'Mom and Dad aren't going to put up much of a fight,'_ Sasuke thought, his lips curled downward. _'But I have to build up Naruko's confidence - otherwise, she'll never want to tell Yondaime-sama about us, and I don't want to think about what will happen if he catches us in the act.'_

Nearly being caught in bed with Naruko by Shisui all that time ago had been bad enough. But if Minato was the one to do it…?

"Yeah…" Sasuke murmured to himself, his gaze downcast. "I'd rather keep all of my limbs, thank you very much…"

Another deep breath - the air circulating through his lungs seemed almost stale. He wiped his hands off on his trousers, a grimace on his face. If he felt this way about telling his family, Sasuke didn't even want to think about how Naruko felt.

He knew the route to Naruko's home as if it were inked on the back of his hand; it was strange though, going to the front door for once rather than creeping in through a window.

Another thing nagged at him as he made the final approach. Was he underdressed? Or perhaps overdressed? It seemed so odd for someone like _him_ to think about it, but Sasuke hadn't exactly elaborated when he had told Naruko that they were going to dinner with his family that night. He was dressed rather simply - a high collar shirt and a pair of dark trousers, slick black shoes and his hair having the appearance as if he had tried to tackle it with a comb… an attempt that had not been successful by any means.

But how would Naruko think to dress? If she elected to 'officially' meet his parents dressed in a pair of short shorts and a tank-top… kami, there was a really good chance that she'd try something like that, wasn't there?

What was he getting himself into?

' _There's no going back now.'_ He tugged at his collar once more, the door to the Namikaze-Uzumaki home looming in front of him. There was a beautiful wooden knocker - but he ignored it, simply elected to knock thrice on the hardwood.

He stood there for a brief moment, staring at the door. A distant child's cry tore through the night, followed by the giggle of another child. An animal scurried through the yard, disappearing in the blackness from whence it came.

There was the squeak of a foot across hardwood on the other side of the door. Through the window, Sasuke saw a flash of red and violet. A giggle came from the door - then, the sounds of it being unlocked. The door swung open, and Kushina grinned at him.

"Well, well, well," she said. "You're a little early, aren't you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I figured that it was best to get an early start, in case anything… unforeseen decided to spring itself on us."

"That's smart," Kushina murmured. "Naruko's upstairs - she'll be ready in just a moment." The redhead stepped to the side, beckoning him inside. "Come in, come in… make yourself at home."

Sasuke stayed at the door. "I don't want to intrude, so I think I'll just stay out here," he said.

"Your choice," Kushina said, with a shrug. "Naruko! Hurry up - your _boyfriend's_ here!" Sasuke smirked and Kushina grinned at Naruko's indignant shriek from upstairs.

"Ugh! Of course he has to make me feel guilty for keeping him waiting!" Naruko cried from upstairs. "Just give me a minute! I'm almost… almost done!"

"You hear that?" Kushina asked him.

"I can wait."

He idled by the door, gazing out at the night. A woman was walking her dog, and she gave Sasuke a polite wave as she passed by. The children from earlier came darting by as well - passing a ball between themselves as they shuffled down the pavement.

Sasuke smoothed out the front of his shirt. The fog was not lifting as he had thought it would - if anything, it was intensifying… gradually, slowly, quite literally noticeably to anyone who was not paying attention to it, but intensifying nonetheless. A chill ran through the air, and he tugged his sleeves down a little.

"Alright, I'm ready!"

Naruko came through the door behind him, gliding across the ground. He turned.

Soft orange met his gaze; Sasuke had never been a fan of the color, but out of any woman he'd ever met, Naruko could wear orange like no one else. A vibrant orange dress that fell to her knees - it clung to her body loosely, shimmering gently in the light. Her hair fell down her back in a curtain of immaculate blonde strands, her feet adorned with blue slippers and her lips painted the same color.

She grinned at him. "Jeez! Did you really try to comb that?" She stretched her arms, running a hand through his hair and shaking the dark strands loose. "It looks better this way, Sasuke - you should stick with it."

He blinked. "Sure," Sasuke said; there was a lump in his throat. "Let's go then."

"Bye, Mom!" Naruko called, waving at the redhead who still stood in the foyer.

"Have fun you two! Bring her home safe, Sasuke!" Kushina called. As they walked down the path, side by side, the door closed behind them.

"Is there anything you need to say?" Sasuke said, as the two of them came to a stop on the sidewalk.

"Besides the fact that I'm nervous as all heck?" Naruko mumbled. "Nah, not really."

"Alright."

He gently gripped her wrist - with a flare of chakra, the two of them vanished in a flicker. Faster than the eye could see, too fast for even them to properly comprehend, they came to a stop in front of the Uchiha compound only a scant few moments later. A horrific waste of chakra by any margin, but he wasn't eager for the two of them to get trapped in thoughts as to what _could_ happen.

How this night was arranged was simple: Sasuke told Mikoto that he wanted to have dinner with the family, and that he was going to bring a guest. More perceptive than he would give her credit for, Mikoto sniffed out the fact that he had a girlfriend - if not her identity - and resolved to invite everyone that she could get her hands on. Which brought them to that moment in particular.

There were no guards posted at the gate; it was an off night, and they were probably off drinking, gambling, or sleeping. The Uchiha police force had a strenuous job, and it had long since become custom for the ANBU to oversee the village's crime and defense for a night every week or so, in order to give them time to recuperate.

They stepped into the compound unmolested, silence rife between the two of them. It was not a tense silence - but a comfortable one, the kind that both felt at home in. Well, Sasuke at any rate… if Naruko hadn't been so nervous over what was about to happen, she'd likely be talking his ear off, as per usual.

He had let go of her wrist the instant they had dropped out of shunsin, but Naruko had seized his own right after. Her grip grew tighter and tighter as they neared his family's home. "Naruko, you need to calm down…!" he cursed, and she flushed ever so slightly - she had inadvertently dug her fingernails into his flesh, and he'd jerked his hand away in pain.

"Sorry!" she said, averting her gaze. "I'm just…" Naruko bit her lip. "I hate being nervous like this. It's stupid! What do I have to be worried about? I mean, your parents and your brother are _awesome_ , Sasuke, and I don't think that they're going to freak out or anything… I just… I don't know what to think. I feel like a little kid, worrying about something so dumb... It just… it sucks. It really does."

Sasuke sighed. "You're not acting weird, Naruko," he muttered. "I don't think it's out of the ordinary to be anxious about something like this. It'd probably be odder if you _weren't_ getting worried about it."

"Yeah, I know…" Naruko mumbled.

He glanced at her, a frown curling his lips. "I'm not much help, are I?" Sasuke closed his eyes. "I've never been good with this sort of stuff.."

"Now's not the time to be getting emotional," Naruko ribbed, poking him in the belly. "But don't worry about it, Sasuke. You don't have to do anything - just listening to me is enough."

"Alright," he said.

The rest of the walk there was quiet.

As if a supernatural force had summoned her - or she'd been peeking through the window for the last fifteen minutes waiting for them - the door swung open once Sasuke and Naruko came to a stop before it.

Mikoto took one, long look at Naruko.

Then, she squealed. " _Yeeeeesssss!_ " Mikoto whooped, throwing herself at Sasuke and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug - he gasped for breath as her arms strangled the life out of him; there was no escape from her embrace… well, there was one, but it was probably in poor taste to drop dead on his family's doorstep.

"Mo- mom…" Sasuke ground out.

"My baby boy… oh… I couldn't be any happier~! Your first girlfriend… and she's perfect!" Mikoto smooched Sasuke's cheek, again and again. "Mmmwaah!"

Naruko snickered.

Sasuke glared at her - but then, a smirk tugged at his lips.

Because Uchiha Mikoto was not the type of woman to hold back when she was this excited.

"And look at you~" Mikoto cooed, letting go of Sasuke and turning to Naruko. "You look so beautiful! Oh my heavens, oh sweet lord… if I had legs like that at your age, who knows what I could have done?"

Naruko blushed deeply. "U-Uchiha-san!" she stammered out, cheeks so red that her whiskers were nearly drowned out by the color.

Mikoto grinned. It was Sasuke's turn to chuckle now, as he massaged his bruised ribs and cracked the bones in his back. His mother continued to fuss over Naruko for a moment, even going so far as to comment on what kind of deodorant she'd chosen to wear that night.

Sasuke… to Naruko's eternal gratitude… decided to intervene. Eventually.

"Mom," he said, and Mikoto shook her head as if she'd been yanked from a dream. "I think we should probably head inside."

"Oh… right!" Mikoto said. "Come on, Naruko-chan, Sasuke." She let out a soft squeal once more as she darted into the house, her son and his girlfriend close behind. "Fugaku~! Itachi~! Guess who's here?"

The scene in the dining room was a familiar one. Izumi - Itachi's fiance - was at the stove, holding over the food while Mikoto had gone to answer the door. Itachi and Shisui were engaged in spirited conversation at the table… well, more like the latter talking adamantly while Itachi hummed and nodded. Fugaku sat at the table, gingerly writing out a letter.

Mikoto practically sprinted into the kitchen; Sasuke and Naruko came to a pause in the doorway.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Everyone, this is my… erm… companion: Naruko." Naruko gave him a look - _'Companion?'_ she thought, quirking an eyebrow. Sasuke's neck looked strangely red.

"Hey," came a murmur from the assorted people in the room, who promptly went back to what they were doing.

The two blinked.

"Are they no selling us…?" Naruko mumbled.

"I'm not sure," Sasuke confessed. "Let's just sit down."

"Sure."

There were a number of empty chairs at the table, but Naruko and Sasuke sat in the ones that were side by side. Mikoto was at the oven now, berating a blushing Izumi for something that she had done wrong in the former's absence.

Suddenly, there was silence.

Shisui, Itachi, and Fugaku all looked at Naruko - as if they were just seeing her for the first time. Izumi, perhaps sensing the tension, turned as well.

"Wait…" Izumi mumbled. "Isn't that…?"

Itachi pursed his lips together. "I see," he said, sitting up a little straighter in his chair. "That's who you've been going out with. I can't say I'm not surprised."

"You knew?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm your brother," Itachi said simply. "We haven't discussed much recently, but I figured that you were in a relationship with someone; I just didn't know _who_."

Shisui gave the two of them an odd look, before he shook his head and cast his gaze down. Fugaku merely grunted.

"Izumi!" Mikoto snapped, and the girl turned back around.

Sasuke and Naruko turned toward each other.

"Well," Naruko said, staring at her boyfriend. "That went a lot easier than I was expecting."

He rubbed his chin. "You aren't kidding," he murmured.

And in the end, they had a nice, quiet, peaceful dinner.

The sound of running water permeated the dining room. At the sink Mikoto stood, big rubber gloves pulled over her hands as she washed the dishes, humming a happy little tune under her breath.

"I'm going to be training for the next few days," Naruko was saying. "You know how it is - I just want to get stronger and stronger, no matter what!"

"That's admirable," Itachi said. "I imagine it must be quite the burden to have someone such as the Yondaime to be overshadowing you."

"Nah," Naruko said. "It's fine. I mean… it's not fine, but I've gotten used to it, y'know?"

Sasuke pursed his lips together, and declined to comment on that. Izumi had retired to her own home, and Fugaku had had to go back to the office. Shisui was still there - though he sat on the edge of the table, and did not make much conversation.

There was a lull in the conversation. Naruko had just opened her mouth to say something, then-

 _CRASH!_

Everyone, aside from Itachi, jumped. All eyes turned to the front of the room - where shards of a broken plate rested at Mikoto's feet. "My bad, my bad. I've just been so darned clumsy tonight - I don't know what it is!" she said, her cheeks dusted with pink as she raced to go get a dust pan.

There was the briefest pause. Naruko choked, looking faintly green for reasons even she couldn't explain.

She rubbed her arm. "I think we should go," Naruko murmured to Sasuke out of the corner of her mouth. "I'm feeling a little… queasy."

"Queasy?" He raised an eyebrow.

Naruko nodded.

Mikoto came back into the room, sweeping up the glass shards into the dustpan and skillfully dumping them into the trash. A breeze came in through the window - it seemed to have gotten colder, and everyone in the kitchen shivered. Mikoto strode over to the window, and closed it.

"Mom, Dad, Itachi… Naruko and I are going to go ahead and leave." Sasuke stood up from his chair, Naruko doing the same - she wobbled slightly. "Thank you for the meal."

"Thank you for having me!" Naruko said, waving merrily.

Mikoto grinned. She rushed over, pulling off her rubber gloves. First she gave Sasuke a _second_ bone-crushing hug… then, she paid Naruko the same courtesy. The blonde's bone structure likely would have been forever altered had it not been for the Kyuubi. "Get her home safe, Sasuke," Mikoto said to him, before returning to her dishes.

Itachi merely grunted. And so, the two wheeled around and began to walk out of the house.

The sound of footsteps caused them to pause. Shisui came in between them, wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulder. "Hey…" Shisui murmured. "Can I talk to you two for a moment?"

"What about?" Naruko asked.

Shisui chuckled. "I'm going out on a limb here," he said. "But I seem to recall finding Sasuke in a hotel room a good while ago." A pause. "And while I didn't see the girl he was with, I saw what clothes she was wearing… which were orange. You don't have to say yes or no - but what I'm trying to insuitate here is…"

Naruko groaned. "We get it," she said. "And no… you're not wrong. Can we go now? I'm still not feeling well."

Shisui blinked. "Oh, I - well… okay. I guess it's fine, so long as you guys are safe… and consensual… and all of that stuff. I won't tell Auntie Mikoto or Itachi, so don't worry about that."

Sasuke pushed Shisui's arm off of him, and gripped Naruko's wrist. "Talk to you later, cousin," he said, before he set out - Naruko walking behind him.

He dropped her off back at her house.

"See you for training tomorrow?" Sasuke asked.

"If I'm up for it," Naruko grumbled - she still looked faintly green. "See you later," she said, leaning forward and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. "I'm glad your family was fine with me."

"Me too," Sasuke said. "Good night."

She flashed a grin at him, before spinning around and knocking on the door. Sasuke started off back down the path, Kushina giving him a word of greeting as she threw up to the door and pulled Naruko into the house. Sasuke didn't return it, instead disappearing in a swirl of leaves once he reached the pavement.

"So… how was it?" Kushina asked, once the door was shut and they were in the comfort of their home.

Naruko wobbled slightly on her feet - but there was a great, bright grin crossing her face. The kind that would steal a man's breath away.

"It was fun," she said.

"Fun? Define fun," Kushina urged.

"I had fun. What can I say, Mom?" Naruko murmured. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go sleep. I'm tired!" And she stalked off up the stairs, kicking off her shoes as she went.

' _Oh well,'_ Naruko thought. _'Things could have gone worse, right?'_

Right.

The sun rose far above the village - yet no one saw it. The clouds obscured its rays… ominously looming over the sprawling settlement, grayness stretching from horizon to horizon, seemingly eternal.

She inhaled deeply.

Then let out a groan, flopping onto the grass.

"I… hate… training…" she grumbled, voice muffled by the turf pressed against her mouth.

"No, you don't," Sasuke said. He sat a few meters away from her, cross-legged with his eyes closed and his hands gently resting on his knees. "Get up - we've barely gotten started."

"What?" Naruko rasped. "We've been out here for ages!"

"Ages?" Sasuke scoffed. "I doubt it's an hour past new by now."

" _We got here at six in the morning!"_

Sasuke let out a terse sigh. "You're the jinchuriki here," he said. "I have no idea why you're so lacking in stamina today; I'm fine… I feel as fresh as ever."

Naruko raised her head up, blue eyes squinting at in an unamused way. "Oh yeah, because you're so _busy_ , Sasuke. How could coming up with an entirely new type of rasengan even compare to sitting there and meditating?" There was no shortage of sarcasm in her tone.

The corner of his lip quirked upward. "Again, you're the jinchuriki here. From all the claims you've made in the bedroom, I'm disappointed you gas out this quickly," he said slyly.

"What?" she said. "You're - wait… what? That's not fair! Whenever we stop, it is a mutual agreement you big jerk!"

"Maybe," Sasuke said. "Or I could be humoring your obvious lack of stamina."

"I'll show you a lack of stamina!" Naruko growled, forcing herself back to her feet. "Watch me! Get up and watch me you teme, don't just sit there!"

Sasuke sighed. "Alright," he said. A gust of wind blows through the clearing as he stands up and walks over to her - as he nears the blonde, one of Naruko's pigtails swings around and nearly hits him in the chin, though he takes a step back to avoid it. Finally, he comes to a stop before her, shoulders square and a blank yet attentive look that was present on his features.

Naruko focused her attention solely on him. "Watch and learn!" Naruko grunted. She held her palm out, and soon, a rasengan began to bloom atop her tanned skin - it spun and spun, faster, faster, until it reached a speed so fast that even his sharingan would have difficulty comprehending it.

Sasuke saw the writing on the wall. He took a few steps back.

Just in time too, because once Naruko tried to add that final component to the rasengan - her potent _Wind_ affinity - the rasengan decided to fail. In a rather spectacular manner.

When Naruko was sent flying back, head over heels, skidding across the ground until she came to a stop… she did not get up.

"I… hate… training…" she mumbled into the grass.

Sasuke sighed.

A few quick strides closed the distance between them. "You need to relax," he said. It was with ease that he hefted her up, looping his arms around her torso and yanking the blonde to her feet - then pulling her taut against his chest. Some would see it as a romantic move… but Sasuke was pragmatic about what he was doing.

He knew that Naruko could only be _totally_ relaxed in a few circumstances - one of those being when she was encased in his arms. He wasn't the biggest fan of physical contact unless it was strictly beneath the sheets, but for his girlfriend he could certainly make an exception.

"Sasuke?" she mumbled, eyes fluttering open.

"Quiet," Sasuke said.

Gently, he pressed his hand against the back of her dominant arm, grasping her wrist so that he could direct her movements. It was quick - precise - and soon, he had her hand extended outward as she had done a moment before, palm open.

"You need to _relax_ ," he told her once more.

Naruko took a deep, shuddering breath.

She allowed fresh, cool air to circulate through her lungs. It was unfortunate that the sun was still blocked out by the clouds, but the warmth that Sasuke injected into her veins was more than enough to compensate. She could feel her frame moulding against his broad chest… the strength in his arms, the way they seemed to _fit_ together.

"Okay," she said. The tiredness, the sarcasm, the _everything_ seemed to ebb from her voice - replaced by a resolute firmness, a liveliness, a power. "Okay, I'm relaxed. I'm totally _freaking_ relaxed."

"Good." She heard him take a deep breath. "Now, make a rasengan."

Naruko did not respond or assent in any way, but she didn't need to. Soon, a blue sphere swirled to nice in her palm, the only answer Sasuke needed.

He didn't say anything else, and Naruko held her breath, not willing to advance any further… considering if the rasengan 'failed' as it had done a minute before, _both_ of them would be caught in the crossfire.

And she wasn't going to let Sasuke get hurt in any circumstance - especially if she could avoid it.

Sasuke pursed her lips together.

"Ah," he said.

"Huh?"

"Make a clone," Sasuke told her.

"Should I get rid of the rasengan first?" she asked, blue eyes glancing at the matching sphere that still steadily spun on her palm.

"Make a clone."

And he left it at that.

Naruko _could_ do one handed seals, but it was only with a very small arsenal of jutsu - thankfully, the shadow clone jutsu came as naturally to her as breathing, and at the very least she could make a single clone one handed. Which is what she proceeded to do, forming a seal with her spare hand.

The clone appeared right in front of the two of them, a look of determination crossing its features.

"What do you need me to do?" the clone asked Sasuke.

"Listen," he said. "Naruko, you need to focus on simply keeping the rasengan together. Your clone can add the _Wind_ element to it, and so long as you can keep it under wraps…"

"Wait…"

"... then you can use this as a sort of shortcut," Sasuke finished. "It's not an acceptable solution by any means - but it's a start."

"A start," the original Naruko said. "Okay, I can live with a start. You'd better not screw this up!"

"Me screw it up?" the clone said. "If anyone's gonna mess it up, it's you!"

An argument likely would have broken out, but Sasuke cleared his throat. The two girls shook their heads, then set about the immense task in front of them.

The original created the Rasengan.

The clone, once the rasengan was created, went to work… face strained as she harnessed the _Wind_ element, pumping her sharpened chakra into the rasengan.

It was slight.

Very, very, _very_ slight - Sasuke had to activate his sharingan to see it. But there it was: the beginning stages of what could only be the Wind Style: _Rasengan_.

It didn't last. But at least it didn't explode this time either - once the transformation from normal Rasengan to wind Rasengan was evident, both of the Naruko's concentration broke and the spiraling sphere simply… fizzled out.

But it was there; they had seen it, meaning that _technically_ (once the clone dispelled and Naruko got its memories) she would have seen it twice over.

The clone dispelled. Sasuke let Naruko go, and she stood there - still as a monument, staring at her palm with nothing short of complete astonishment.

Then, she leapt into the air. _"YES!"_ she cheered. "Yes, yes, yes! I did it! Woo! Woohoo!"

A smile tugged at Sasuke's lips.

The sky, however, remained overcast. Dark, perhaps, though their surroundings were still visible. Another breeze ran through the clearing this time… cold, bitter, and Naruko's cheers were cut short as she clasped her hands around herself in an attempt to stave off the chill.

"Jeez," she mumbled. "Way to kill the mood… stupid weather…"

Sasuke chuckled. "I'm sure the weather is going to listen to your complaints," he said.

She shrugged. "I'm tired. Want to go get something to eat?"

"And who would pay for that? I remember-"

A pause.

They both turned, to a new chakra presence that had just came out of a _shunshin_ on the side of the clearing.

Shisui grinned at them. "Hey guys," he said. "Uhh… you're supposed to go to the Hokage's office. I'm not sure what for."

Naruko and Sasuke exchanged a glance.

"Well…" she said. "I guess since we told your parents about us… we might as well go ahead and tell my dad, right?"

"I suppose," Sasuke said.

Shisui chuckled. "Good luck with that," he said, before disappearing… without a trace, as one might expect.

The couple inhaled a deep breath in perfect unison.

"Let's do this," Naruko said.

And they disappeared as well, leaving behind swirls of leaves.

The Hokage's office loomed above them.

Normally the windows would be wide open - but today, they were closed, the curtains drawn. Naruko took that in, the slightest hint of a frown tugging at her lips. "That's odd," she said.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing, nothing," she said, with a side glance at Sasuke. "I'm just overreacting. It _is_ pretty cold, I guess…"

The building was silent as they walked through it. Even though their footsteps were quiet - as all shinobis were - the sound of even the lightest scuff of their sandals along the pristine floors seemed to bounce off the walls. Goosebumps went up and down Naruko's back. She couldn't help but shiver every time they passed an open window. Sasuke's brow knitted together, jaw taut, his body rigid as they pressed onward through the place.

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

Naruko swallowed. "Do you think we're ready to tell Dad about us?"

The corners of his lips curled downward. "Probably not," Sasuke said. "But I don't think we'll ever be as ready as we hope."

She shrugged. "I guess." A cough came from her lips, and she pressed a fist to her mouth. "Just a little longer…"

They stopped before the door.

A deep breath.

Three square knocks, right in the center of the door - Naruko's hand shook, and she cringed as the deafening sounds of her knuckles against wood filled the hallway.

"Come in," a voice came from the other side.

Naruko gulped.

Her hand twisted the knob… and shakily, she opened the door.

Blue eyes widened.

She stepped inside.

Jiraiya flashed her a small grin. "Hey kiddo," he said. Battered, beaten, one of his eyes blackened and dried blood trickling down the corner of his mouth.

But alive.

He was definitely alive, that was for sure.

* * *

 **:D**

 **Thanks for reading. As always, I'll appreciate it if you guys dropped a review; heck, a favorite and a follow would be nice too. But a review... you don't even need an account to need one! It'd be awesome if you could do me that courtesy. If you want to contact me, you can do so by private messaging me on the site.**

 **I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. In the meantime, cheers!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Another chapter, and only five days later; this story is winding down and I don't want you guys to wait too long for the last few chapters. Jiraiya's alive - I'm sure quite a few of you were caught off guard by the ominous tone of the last chapter. Totally not purposeful, ;).**

 **This chapter is a little shorter than the last, but I hope it's just as good. Enjoy! And don't forget to leave a review if you like it… I appreciate each and every review that you guys leave me, and they really do mean a lot. Take less than thirty seconds out of your day to really improve my mood! :D**

* * *

"Ero-sennin!"

Nothing less than a squeal spurted from Naruko's lips - for whatever reason, she seemed to shed about half a decade of maturity whenever Jiraiya was in the room. As for Jiraiya… well, that seemed to be four decades of maturity lost in an instant.

Naruko crashed into Jiraiya at near the speed of sound, in her wake a perplexed Sasuke.

"What happened to you?" she cried. "Why are you so messed up? Who did you fight, ero-sennin?" Tone dripping nothing but worry, her eyes wide, her hands running across Jiraiya's wounds despite his protests… never before had Naruko resembled Kushina more than she did in that moment.

' _I wonder what kind of mother she would be,'_ Sasuke thought.

Probably a good one, he reasoned. She was sweet, attentive, thoughtful… able to act like a kid but also able to harness her meager amounts of maturity when the situation required it. There was no way she'd be a bad mother.

Then, he remembered _other_ things about her; like her obsession with unhealthy, fattening ramen, or her boundless energy which would keep the kids up at night, or her habit of getting frustrated and yelling at things that refused to work or do what she wanted. Or the fact that she was really hot, and that if she were to have kids with someone (him) it was unlikely they'd stop at one… or two… or three; the person she married ( _him_ ) just wouldn't be able to keep their ( _his!_ ) hands off of her.

He was so, _so_ screwed…

Sasuke gently closed the door to the office behind him, holding in a breath. The room wasn't packed by any means - but there was a person that stood on either wall. Kakashi stood to his left, the sannin Tsunade stood to his right, Kushina stood behind the desk and Minato was, of course, seated in his chair. Jiraiya himself was lounging on the desk, one foot on the ground and the other sprawled across a few stacks of paperwork.

"Jeez!" Jiraiya held in a breath, batting away Naruko's hands from an open wound. "You realize these _hurt_ , right?"

Naruko blinked. The concept of 'injuries' could never really sink in to a person who could regenerate anything short of a lost limb within a week. Only immediate and fatal trauma could fell an almost literal demon like her; there was no bleeding to death for a jinchuriki.

"Speaking of which," Jiraiya continued. "Isn't that what you're here for, _Hime_?" He turned to Tsunade with a grin - whether it was lecherous or teasing was anyone's game, but Sasuke didn't miss that glint of genuine affection in his eyes.

Or the fact that his gaze was fixated on Tsunade's bust, but you couldn't really blame him for that.

Tsunade ground her teeth. "You idiot…!" she hissed, striding forward with her hands aglow - green light reflected on her tense features as she set to work healing Jiraiya's numerous wounds. "What were you thinking, Minato? Sending him into the lion's den like that… he could have died!"

"But I didn't," Jiraiya said. "But it wasn't because of anything I did, at least I don't think." He was contemplative for a moment, gaze fixed on his lap, only making a noise when Tsunade had to brush back a sleeve to fix a gash on his arm. "I guess he must have hesitated to kill me… at least, for a moment. That's all I needed, though."

Naruko blinked. "Who hesitated to kill you, ero-sennin…?"

There was a sad smile on his face. "No one, kid," Jiraiya said, after a moment's pause. "Whoever he was… he must have died long ago, just like I thought. The only thing that's left is a monster, and a single moment of humanity can't change that fact." He sighed. "That seems to be a running theme in my life."

Minato sighed from behind the desk. "To answer your question, Tsunade... I made an informed decision to allow Jiraiya to go based on the information I had. He insisted… and though I would have advised a little more caution on his part, things seem to have gone well; I can't say his mission was a failure, regardless of the injuries he sustained - the information he's given us is beyond valuable."

She chewed the inside of her cheek, but did not respond. Naruko glanced before her father and godfather, confusion evident in her gaze - Kushina sighed from behind Minato's shoulder.

Sasuke took up a spot beside Kakashi. "What am I doing here…?" he murmured.

"You're in the know," Kakashi said simply.

"What?"

"Shh." Kakashi raised a finger. "Pay attention - sensei didn't call us here to stare at Tsunade and make small talk."

' _You and Jiraiya are the only ones staring at Tsunade…'_ Sasuke thought, resisting the urge to rub his forehead. "Sure," he said out on the outside, and chose to simply to fold his arms across his chest and continue to observe.

The room was silent for a moment, as Tsunade continued to diligently heal Jiraiya's wounds. Despite her efforts, the signs were still there - a fresh scar or two, his torn clothing, the blood matting his hair… it was an awful, awful sight. Naruko stared at it, lip wobbling slightly.

"Alright," Jiraiya declared after a moment. "No use in wasting time, Minato; let's tell them what we know."

Minato placed his hands on the desk, a measured look creasing his features. His eyes flickered over to the corner where Sasuke and Kakashi stood for an instant - before they came to rest on his mentor.. The light from Tsunade's glowing hands reflected off of his blue eyes.

"Okay." Minato took a deep breath, gently running a hand through his blonde spikes. "Well, let's get the first bombshell out of the way I guess: the leader of the Akatsuki has a rinnegan."

There was a sharp intake of breath from… nobody.

Everyone but Naruko and Sasuke had been filled in on what exactly a rinnegan was - the former was clueless and the latter wasn't much better.

"A rinnegan?" Naruko said, blinking innocently. "What's that, Dad?" Sasuke's lip curled; it was a good thing that Naruko was around, so he wouldn't have to reveal his confusion as well.

Jiraiya sighed. "A rinnegan… to put it simply… is _the_ strongest dojutsu. Stronger than the sharingan, stronger than the byakugan - there is simply no match to it. It's not a matter of preference, it's a simple statement of fact; the abilities the rinnegan bestows upon its wielder are something that the Sage of Six Paths himself was rumored to have."

Naruko stared at him in shock. "You… _fought_ someone with that, ero-sennin?" she said, mouth agape. "Bu- but… if that's true, then how are you even alive?"

He shrugged. "I figure Nag- the Akatsuki leader's Rinnegan isn't the real deal; just some sort of knockoff or mutation, I wouldn't know. Either way, it's still powerful enough to threaten the village. But… there's another thing." Jiraiya glanced at Minato.

"The leader of the Akatsuki can transmit the rinnegan into six different bodies at once," Minato said. "And more importantly… none of those bodies _has_ to be his original one; which means that, theoretically, he could launch a full out assault on the village and not put himself in any personal danger. If there's no limit to how many bodies he can reuse, then he could send wave after wave of corpses until our defenses buckle."

"Well…" Jiraiya began. "That's probably what _would_ have happened - but now, we have an ace in the hole. We know exactly what his main weakness is: the fact that his original body will be left defenseless when his six other bodies are off fighting, or at the very least much easier to take down _than_ 'the six'. We can use that to our advantage."

"Why are you telling this to us?" Naruko asked.

"Mostly to keep you informed," Jiraiya said. "And to impress on you that _we have things under control._ The Akatsuki should be dealt with shortly, once we've finished working out a strategy with Shikaku. With any luck, you and Sasuke over there shouldn't have to participate in the final battle at all."

"What?" Naruko whined. "But I wanted to be the one-"

"No, Naruko," Minato said. "We've got plenty of hands on deck for this, and none that are as risky to send out into the field as you are. Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tsunade, _me_ , I mean… I'd rather send Sasuke out into the field before you. It's not that you're weak, heavens no, but… you're my daughter, and I want to protect you."

"Dad…!"

"Naruko…" Kushina murmured. "We can talk about this when you get home; but until then, your father and I would both prefer if you didn't make a scene in his office."

The blonde in question huffed and stamped her foot, folding her arms across her chest and jerking her head away like a kid that had been denied her dessert. "Fine," she grumbled.

"You two deserve at least _some_ information," Minato said. "Kakashi pushed hard for you to be here, Sasuke, and Kushina was insistent that I bring you along as well, Naruko. And if we _do_ need your help to defeat the Akatsuki… well, at least you'll be informed. Until we call upon you, however, you may consider whatever role you had in tracking down the Akatsuki to be null and void. With their numbers diminished to this point, there shouldn't be any need for a task force… hopefully. We'll have to see, but I wouldn't hold your breath."

Sasuke nodded softly. "Is that it, then?" he said.

"You may go."

Kakashi put a gentle hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Let's talk outside, Sasuke," he murmured into the Uchiha's ear. Sasuke glanced at him - and nodded. They walked out together, and the instant the door had closed behind him the Uzumaki family's petty squabbles broke out once more.

"What do you mean 'I'm in the know'?" Sasuke asked him, as they stood outside the door. There was no one around, but still, they kept their voices low.

He gave Sasuke a look that made the Uchiha feel as if Kakashi was smiling beneath that mask. "Because," Kakashi said. "There's no doubt in my mind that you and Naruko will go tearing off after whatever group Minato-sensei sends to hunt down the Akatsuki; and at the very least, I wanted you to know what you were up against."

"I doubt me or Naruko will fight their leader, though," Sasuke murmured. "If he could wound Jiraiya-sama to that extent, I have no idea how the two of us would fare against him… or them, rather."

"You never know," Kakashi said. "We're still not sure about the abilities of the other Akatsuki members - there's at _least_ five left. But we'll take them down. If the leader's the strongest of them all and Jiraiya-sama managed to escape from and even defeat several of his bodies… well, I'd imagine the instant Minato-sensei takes off the gloves, it won't be much longer. You just have to have faith."

A gentle breeze blew through the window; it was still cold outside, though it had warmed up considerably. The sun was shining now.

"I already did my fair share, Kakashi," Sasuke said. "We'll see if you can talk after _you've_ killed an Akatsuki member of your own…"

Kakashi laughed. "That's right; first Sakura, and now you. My, oh my… you'd think that your dear old sensei would be able to kill an Akatsuki member before _both_ of his students accomplished that feat."

Sasuke smirked.

Then, he froze.

"Wait…" Sasuke murmured. "What do you mean 'you and Naruko'?" he muttered, mouth strangely dry. "She and I… well… I mean, we _might_ go together after the Akatsuki, but I don't know what would make you think that in the first place, because…" He drifted off.

Kakashi shook his head. "Ever since that first training session where you and Naruko introduced yourselves, I knew about the two of you, Sasuke."

"How?"

"Because you two are about as subtle as Sakura when she used to blush and stare at you on every mission," Kakashi deadpanned. "Anyway, I've got some things to do, Sasuke! Nice catching up with you; I hope Naruko's in a good mood when she comes out." Kakashi clapped Sasuke on the shoulder, then disappeared.

Sasuke blanched.

' _Pretty soon everyone in this village is going to know about Naruko and I_ _except_ _for Yondaime-sama,'_ Sasuke thought. _'And I don't want to think about what his reaction is going to be when he finds out that both his wife and student have been keeping our relationship hidden from him…'_

Yeah, there really wasn't any way to describe just how _screwed_ he was. Great - he was only eighteen years old, and yet death was on the horizon. Unfortunately for him, it was still up in the air whether it would be Minato or the Akatsuki to cut his life short.

By this point, he was starting to lean toward the former…

Sasuke shook his head; there was no point in idling outside of the Hokage's office. He could hear Naruko, Kushina, and Minato going off on the other side of the door - it would probably be a while before they were done. He prayed for Jiraiya and Tsunade, and sincerely hoped they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

Then, he heaved a sigh, and began to make his way out of the building.

* * *

Ichiraku's was surprisingly busy that day; the seats were all crammed with people, and the owner and his daughter were darting back and forth from kitchen to counter in order to hand out orders and take more. That aroma wafted through the air, the one that Naruko swore by but Sasuke merely scrunched his nose at.

He didn't mind the ramen all that much to be honest - the obsession with it on the other hand… well, he could do without Ichiraku's becoming a consistent part of his diet. Not that he had any choice.

' _She'll be pretty angry when she gets out of there,'_ he figured. _'The least I could do is get her some ramen.'_

The aforementioned lack of space in the store prevented him from getting them a pair of stools or a table, so he had to order takeout accordingly. Four boxes of ramen were soon nestled in the crook of his arm as he strode out of the store - only one was reserved for him.

As for the rest… well… only the kami could save them from being devoured by an irate Naruko now.

He went back to their training grounds, ramen in hand, his pace slow. Sasuke really wasn't in a rush - the ramen might get cold, but he didn't really mind either way and Naruko wouldn't as well. She'd prefer hot ramen of course, but if you shoved it in front of her she was going to eat it regardless of whether it was as freezing as the Land of Snow or as hot as a patented Uchiha fireball.

The training ground was still mostly untouched, aside from the small craters that Naruko had left during her Wind rasengan training. He sat down, pulled apart a pair of chopsticks, and began to eat.

Not ten minutes later, Naruko flopped down beside him.

"I hate my family," she declared.

"Mmm hmm," Sasuke hummed - he had taken it slow, and there was still about a fifth of his food left. He twirled it around his chopsticks, and gently took it into his mouth, not wanting to slurp it up and give her the satisfaction of seeing him act in such an undignified manner.

"What?" Naruko said, raising her head up off of the ground and eying him. "You don't believe me? My parents are nuts! My dad's crazy and my mom's even worse, if you can believe that…! How did _I_ come from their stupid genes?"

"Shut up," Sasuke said. "And eat some ramen."

He passed her the three boxes, and whatever complaints she had on her lips fell short. For a girl who talked about her principles and pride nonstop, the fact that a few boxes of takeout and only slightly cold ramen could shut her up said a lot. A lot about her obsession with Ichiraku's…

There was a few minutes of silence, as Sasuke finished the last of his food and Naruko devoured hers as if she hadn't eaten in a month. Soon her empty ramen boxes lay scattered around her - she laid down on her back, hands resting on her pleasantly plump belly and a wide smile across her lips.

Sasuke still wasn't sure how a girl could maintain a figure like that when she ate so _much_. She wasn't overly thin… but she wasn't exactly 'thick' either. She was just that right mix between lithe and curvy; and he liked it that way.

He paused for a moment… something had just occurred to him, like a lightning bolt through the sky - he hadn't even given it a thought since he had dropped Naruko off at her house after dinner that night.

"Oi," Sasuke said, rubbing her in the gut. "I need to ask you a question, Naruko."

"Hmm?" she hummed. That smile had not dissipated in the least - if anything, it had grown upon hearing Sasuke's deep voice. It always caressed her ears in a way that made her worries seem to... float away.

"What on earth happened at dinner?" he murmured. "You got sick - you _never_ get sick; the Kyuubi makes sure of that. Explain."

Naruko grimaced.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" he deadpanned, leaning over her and frowning down at the blonde. Her eyes were wide - and she stared at him uncomfortably for a moment, her previous state of calm having vanished in an instant.

"Well…" she mumbled. "I guess I was having…"

A swallow.

"... commitment issues?" Naruko whispered.

"What?" Sasuke blinked, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully. "What do you mean by that, Naruko…?'

Another harsh swallow; she sat up and turned towards him, folding her legs beneath her. "I dunno," Naruko murmured, gripping taking one of his hands into both of her own - she always found the warmth he exuded to be a consistent source of comfort, and vice versa. "It's just…" She paused for a moment. "It was such a… _committed_ thing to do, wasn't it? Getting dressed up, having dinner with your parents and your brother - cracking jokes, talking about things, all of that; the looks they gave us, Sasuke, you would have thought that you were about to pop 'the question' right there and then. Actually, I was afraid you might for a moment there…"

"Naruko, I have no intentions of popping 'the question'," Sasuke deadpanned.

She looked at him.

He blanched.

"I mean… until we're both ready, and if we both want it," he quickly revised. "And - well, I suppose it is a rather… advanced thing to do in sort aspect; dinner with the family isn't something that I would say means we're _all the way_ there, but it's… it's a step."

"Yeah." Naruko ran her thumb along the back of his head. "A pretty big step, though."

"... a medium step," Sasuke said in a measured voice.

"A medium- _big_ step," Naruko countered.

"Whatever." Sasuke reached a hand forward, flickering her forehead playfully - she let out a squeak of protest. "Don't be so careful of commitment, Naruko; trust me… whenever we want to go down that path, I'll make sure to bring it up to you first. I won't try to surprise you with it."

"Okay…" Naruko sucked in a deep breath, nodding her head vehemently. "Okay. Commitment is okay - and so are we. Right?" She paused. "Why were you so worried about me being sick, anyway? What did you _think_ was wrong with me?"

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… you know… a girl starts getting sick at dinner, doesn't explain what it's about, I kind of assumed that you were…"

"Pregnant?" Naruko finished for him, grinning. "Ha! I already got you with that trick once, and now I got you with it again… and this time _unintentionally?_ Score!"

"Shut up…" Sasuke grumbled.

She poked him in the cheek - he jerked his head away, but she merely scooted closer and poked him once more. "Aww… you were _worried_ about me, weren't you, Sasuke~?" Naruko said, her voice falsely bright. "That's so sweeeet~!"

"Shut up, usuratonkachi…!"

"You wanna shut me up, Sasuke?" She puckered her lips. "Come here; I'm all open for you."

Sasuke glared at her. "That would be playing into your hands," he said, climbing to his feet.

"Woah, wait, where are you going?" Naruko asked, sitting up taller, big blue eyes looking up at him.

"I'm going to go find Ichiraku's and burn it to the ground," Sasuke said, in all seriousness.

"What?"

"See you later."

And he walked off, leaving her there, sprawled out on the ground. Naruko blinked once… twice… three times. Then she scrambled to her feet.

"Oi! _Don't you dare think about touching Ichiraku's!"_ she bellowed at the top of her lungs, sprinting after the Uchiha - she could hear his chuckles from here. One would take Sasuke's words as a joke… but there was one thing that people who knew Naruko were well aware of: _she did not joke around with Ichiraku's ramen._

And Sasuke knew that.

The two disappeared into the treeline, Naruko's yells and Sasuke's chuckles drifting off. The ramen cups left behind were gently carried away by the wind - the clouds parted, and the sun shone once more.

It was a good day to live in Konohagakure no Sato.

* * *

 **Pregnant… pregnant… truthfully, I didn't intend for you guys to think she was pregnant last chapter. My bad. Anyway, that's cleared up - and we move onto newer and better things. Only a few chapters left for this fiction, and I hope to give it a decent send off.**

 **If you want to help with that, don't forget to leave a review, ;). I appreciate each and every review - it takes less than a minute to leave one, and you don't even leave an account to do it!**

 **I'll catch you guys later with the next chapter. Until then… cheers!**


	18. Chapter 18

It wasn't exactly a hard conclusion to come to.

For all intent and purposes, they were walking straight into the jaws of oblivion. The Akatsuki—sure, there were only five and Konoha consisted of hundreds of trained shinobi, but those five were fearless, powerful, and more importantly, had nothing to lose.

Insisting on ignoring Naruko's father's explicit orders wasn't just reckless concerning the future of their shinobi careers. It was reckless concerning their _lives_. It wasn't something they took lightly.

Thus, at two seperate locations and at roughly the same time, Naruko and Sasuke came to the same conclusion.

They had to say goodbye.

* * *

Sasuke sent Itachi a very simple, concise letter, via one of his trusty hawks.

' _Dinner. Our parent's house. Tonight.'_

As expected, when Sasuke walked through the front door of Fugaku and Mikoto's home, he could already sense Itachi and his fiancee, Izumi, inside.

He stepped in to the dining room. "Sasuke!" called Mikoto and Izumi in unison.

"Good to see you," Izumi said, smiling.

Itachi and Fugaku merely gave him a nod, but that was all he needed.

Sasuke sat down at the table, face smooth as marble and yet his heart thumping with tranquility. This was the sort of thing he longed for—spending some innocent time with his family.

Really, he had no idea what he'd been doing before he had met Naruko. Ignoring his family, sleeping with random women who threw themselves at him… it had been fun at the time, but in hindsight, Sasuke couldn't fathom why he'd done that sort of thing. The only good thing that had come out of his time 'hunting' at bars was the fact that he'd met Naruko at one; that was it.

The food was almost ready. Mikoto and Izumi were busy putting the finishing touches on it as he sat down. It might seem a little 'traditional' for the women to be preparing the food, but whoever thought that must have never seen Sasuke's father or brother try to cook something before. Sasuke could do it on a good day, but Sasuke had once seen Itachi fumble the process of preparing ramen. _Instant_ ramen.

Mikoto had told Sasuke all through his childhood about the many, many times she'd tried to instruct Fugaku on how to cook something more complicated than rice. None of her lessons had ever stuck. And so, according to her own words: 'I decided to just cut my losses and cook the darn food.'

Which lead them to now, where Sasuke could only just repress a shudder as a steaming hot plate piled with the most delicious sort of things was placed in front of him. It isn't important what Sasuke was actually about to eat, but it is important to get across how _good_ it looked.

Picture one's favorite food. If it isn't home cooked, add that layer of deliciousness that comes with a mother's touch. Amplify the smell, the consistency, the taste, the _everything_ by at least three. And then one would have a small idea of what was beneath Sasuke's nose at that very moment.

He was not a gluttonous person, but Sasuke, nor Itachi, nor Fugaku, nor Izumi would ever want mentioned how they acted the moment they'd readied their silverware. They weren't animals—there was some semblance of manner to be had. But compared to an Uchiha's usual elegance, they might as well have been raving rottweilers that ate the food with nothing but their teeth.

Mikoto smiled pleasantly, popping a bit into her mouth. She was more than aware of the effect her food could have.

Fifteen minutes later, Sasuke leaned back. If he was Naruko, he would have rubbed his stomach and belched—but again, he was an Uchiha. He had _some_ self respect and dignity left… somewhere.

"The food was excellent, Mother," he said to Mikoto, nodding his head slightly and resting a hand on the tabletop. He rubbed his nails against the grain of the wood. "And I'm sure your contribution was excellent as well, Izumi."

Izumi smiled. "Trust me, she did all the work." She laughed. "I was just along for the ride." There was a twinkle in her black eyes as she looked at her fiance. "Did you enjoy the food, 'tachi?"

Sasuke's brother folded his hands in his lap. Even he seemed a little embarrassed about how _viciously_ he'd… taken in the food. Devoured was a more apt description, he thought, but it was unseemly.

"It was good," Itachi admitted. "But I expect no less from Mother."

Fugaku gave a sort of half nod; after more than two decades of marriage to Mikoto, he'd long since gotten used to the effect her food could have even on him, one of the most stoic men in Konohagakure.

Mikoto had this… smug look on her face. Smug might seem an odd look for a woman like Mikoto, but what other way was there to describe the look on her face?

Fugaku was the leader, Itachi and Sasuke were fighters light-years ahead of her, but just her food could make their knees weak and the threat of it being withheld would have even Sasuke begging for mercy. That had to count for something.

Sasuke silently resolved to never let Mikoto and Naruko be in the same room together alone. Or at all, if possible.

"How was work, Father?" asked Sasuke.

The patriarch of the Uchiha family couldn't help but be slightly taken aback. Sasuke hadn't been interested in his day-to-day life as head of the police force since he'd made Chunin.

"It was fine," Fugaku said. He paused for a moment. "There was an altercation downtown this morning; some kind of… street fight between two members of the Inuzuka clan."

"That happens at least once every other day," Izumi interjected.

Fugaku glanced at her. "Only this time they were right beside a pet shop," he muttered. "One that specializes in… well, selling cats and kittens."

The whole table turned at least a few shades paler. They could only imagine the noise that must have caused—two dozen cats screeching all at once was not a pretty sound.

"As one can imagine," Fugaku continued. "Having two Inuzuka and their dogs battling just outside the store caused quite the ruckus." He tapped his fingers on the side of the table. "It wasn't anything serious—one of the Inuzuka had a little too much to drink, so we tossed him in a cell and let him sober up a bit. We let the two of them off with a fine and a written warning sent to the clan head… I'm sure what Inuzuka Tsume does to them is worse than a little fine, anyway. And aside from a bad scratch on an employee's arm, nothing in the pet shop was harmed."

Sasuke nodded, gaze swiveling to Itachi. "And you, brother?" he said. "Anything interesting happen recently?"

Itachi tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, his eyes locked onto his younger brother.

"No, not really," he said indifferently.

"Actually, there _was_ something," Izumi said. "The other day, the two of us were…"

There wasn't much else to say about dinner that night. It was nice—it was peaceful. Sasuke went home afterward much more happy and content than he'd been when he had woken up.

* * *

She sat in the meadow.

Today, she had put her long, blonde hair into a single braid. Absentmindedly, she wrapped it around her finger again and again, letting it go and then repeating the process. Her big blue eyes weren't focused on anything in particular: a blade of grass here, a distant bird in a tree there.

A long gust of wind began. Leaves floated through the air in a wave, approaching fast from the treeline. She watched it in awe. Many of the leaves thrown her way were left over debris from fall—yellow and red, fluttering on the breeze.

Yellow and red.

It didn't feel like a coincidence when the gust stopped and the leaves fell to the ground long before it reached her.

Uzumaki Naruko heaved a great sigh, falling onto her back, staring at the cloudy sky above her.

' _This sucks,'_ she decided.

It was a fair assessment of her situation.

After all, both Kushina and Minato were intimately aware of what was going on with the Akatsuki. Both of them had been there when Naruko had been expressly forbidden from chasing after the Akatsuki… _by_ Minato himself.

Basically, it would be pretty obvious to the both of them what her intentions were if she started getting all sentimental and lovey dovey.

But how was she supposed to say _goodbye_ then?

Her mother with flowing locks of red hair and arms that made her feel so, so safe. Her father with his blue eyes so like her own, and an aura of confidence that seemed to triple her own.

The threat of the Akatsuki was very real; she didn't doubt that. She knew that there was a chance that she could…

… yeah.

It was possible. Likely, even. That sort of looming doom wasn't easy on anyone's psyche, but with the knowledge that she couldn't even say _goodbye_ to her parents before she departed…? It was maddening.

Her fingers curled into a ball.

' _Mom… Dad…'_ she thought. _'Are you going to hate me? No—I know you won't hate me. But will you be disappointed in me?'_

Disappointment was a powerful word. But it wasn't like they were going to be _proud_ of her for what she was planning on doing…

She folded her legs beneath her, leaning forward and resting her head upon her knuckles, elbows digging into the grass.

There was a look in her eyes: solemn, resigned.

Another gust of wind. The red and yellow leaves rose from the grass, flying toward her once more. She watched them absentmindedly, body language relaxed… until suddenly, she tensed. Only slightly, however.

An immense shadow loomed over Naruko.

She looked back—already knowing who it was. There wasn't the slightest hint of fear in her gaze.

* * *

His family was checked off the list.

Sure, he hadn't been able to say 'goodbye' as directly as he would have preferred. But it was something at least. A memento he'd carry to his early grave if that were to happen.

But there was someone else he wanted to seek out. He was family—perhaps not on the level of Itachi or of his mother, but family nonetheless. And a part of Sasuke felt that he was one of the few people he could seek out who would understand the turmoil swirling in his gut.

Actually seeking out and finding Uchiha Shisui wasn't as hard as one might expect.

He was lounging just outside of a dango shop, one of the fruity sticks in his hand. There was a sly look in his eyes.

"Sasuke," he said. "How do you do?"

"I'm well." Sasuke tilted his head to the side. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about." Shisui was leaning against a wall—Sasuke joined him, right at his side.

"Then talk," Shisui replied. "No one will hear us here." He nodded toward the people in front of them; they were in the midst of one of Konohagakure's most busy areas. The roar of the crowd around them would easily conceal their conversation.

Sasuke sighed. "Naruko and I… are planning to join the search for the Akatsuki," he said. "When we're not supposed to, I mean."

Shisui bit a chunk off of the stick of dango in his hands. Throughout a mouthful, he said, "Against orders?", which was a rhetorical question, of course.

Not that Sasuke realized that.

"Yes, against orders," Sasuke said. "From the Hokage himself."

Shisui swallowed the dango. "I can't say I'm surprised," he said. "What kind of Uchiha would you be if you didn't want to go out and fight them? Especially considering who they're after." Sasuke followed Shisui's gaze, which was lingering on a piece of dango still on the stick that was a bright orange.

Sasuke's fingers twitched, then curled into a ball.

"So… do you disagree with our decision?" Carefully worded—disagree rather than agree.

Shisui saw right through it, however. He turned to face Sasuke, hands dropping to his side, nothing but seriousness in his gaze.

"Listen," he began. "I can't tell you that I agree with what you're doing, Sasuke. I can understand it, but understanding doesn't automatically mean agreement."

He took a breath, eyes darting back and forth, searching Sasuke's face, as if he could see what the younger Uchiha was feeling. Sasuke fought, and fought hard to keep his face placid.

"You're trying to do the right thing," Shisui continued. "I don't think there's anything more 'right' than wanting to rid this Earth of an organization like the Akatsuki. So… I'll rise to the bait. I don't _disagree_ with your intentions."

Sasuke exhaled; he hadn't even realized he'd been holding his breath. "Good," he said.

Shisui reached a hand up, clapping Sasuke on the shoulder.

"You know, I've already been chosen for the squad Yondaime-sama's going to dispatch to hunt down the Akatsuki," Shisui told him. "Our squad and the two of you are going to have to cross paths at some point. When we do…" He sighed. "I'll put in a good word for you, and if necessary, I'll argue in your favor."

Sasuke closed his eyes, nodding slowly.

It wasn't something to be taken lightly. Shisui might as well have said that he'd directly oppose a Hokage's express order.

"Thank you," Sasuke said.

Shisui said nothing. He merely raised the hand that still held the dango stick and popped said stick into his mouth. He nodded, then waved Sasuke off.

There was no goodbyes between the two of them. After all, if Shisui was right, they'd be seeing each other soon enough anyway.

* * *

An immense shadow loomed over Naruko.

She looked back—already knowing who it was. There wasn't the slightest hint of fear in her gaze.

Her face broke out into a warm smile. "Ero-sennin," she said, standing up. He was well over a foot taller than her—the blonde's head hardly came up to his chest.

Naruko leaned forward, wrapping his arms around him and pulling the sannin into a tight hug.

"Hey, kid," he said, patting her on the head fondly. "Let's cut to the chase."

"Huh?"

A moment later, they were sitting down opposite each other, cross legged, with nothing but the wind to keep them company.

"You're about as subtle as your mother was at your age," Jiraiya said. "That is, to say… not at all." He smirked—Naruko pouted. "I'm sure Minato and Kushina think they can keep you on a leash, but you and I both know that's not true."

He was right. Minato was utterly oblivious to her and Sasuke's relationship and Kushina didn't know the full extent of it. They still saw her as a little girl; but the truth was that she hadn't been a little girl for quite a while.

"The two of you—you and Sasuke… you're planning on chasing after the Akatsuki with us, aren't you?" It wasn't even a rhetorical question.

Naruko lowered her head, only slightly embarrassed. "Yeah," she mumbled.

Jiraiya nodded. "I'm just confirming what I already know," he said. "And no, I don't agree with what you're doing. I won't help you do it. But I won't stop you either." He stared deep into Naruko's eyes; she had never seen him so serious. "I just want you to understand what you're up against."

And he proceeded to tell her the story of his fight against the leader of the Akatsuki— _Pein_.

How he'd infiltrated Amegakure. How he had disabled some of their shinobi and gotten what he'd needed. How he'd fought Pein's right-hand woman… Konan, he'd called her. How he had fought the man himself…

Worst of all, Jiraiya told her the truth.

"They're your students…?" she whispered.

"Two of them, at least," Jiraiya said. "The woman… Konan. And Nagato, who I believe to be Pein. Yahiko was the third, and he was there… but…" He drifted off.

They sat in a solemn silence, utterly quiet.

A few moments later, Naruko worked up the nerve to speak.

"When we were in Dad's office and you were talking about it… you said something like… you thought this Nagato guy might have spared your life?"

JIraiya shook his head. "For a second, I thought, maybe, _maybe_ , he might have. But now… I don't think he did." He sighed. "If he'd had the opportunity, he would have killed me; almost did, in fact. I got lucky. I don't know how I managed to live, to tell you the truth."

"It's a miracle," Naruko said, trying and failing to smile.

"Yeah," he muttered. "A miracle."

Jiraiya suddenly stood. Naruko stared up at him for a moment, before standing as well.

He leaned forward and hugged her.

"Whatever happens," Jiraiya murmured. "I'm proud of you, kid."

She grinned from ear to ear, head buried in his chest.

"I can't _force_ you not to go," he continued. "And I won't try to. Just… just be careful, okay? And try to realize what you're up against."

"I will," Naruko said.

They both pulled back. Naruko couldn't help but sniffle a bit.

"Love you, ero-sennin," she mumbled.

Jiraiya reached a hand outward, ruffling her hair. "Love you too, kid."

She blinked… and he was gone.

Naruko sat back down, then fell onto her back.

' _I think…'_ she thought. _'I'm ready. Are you ready, Sasuke?'_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **You can thank a friend of mine for this chapter coming out. I made a deal with him and I had every intention of following through with it.**

 **Be sure to leave a review if you enjoyed it.**


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